Santiago is not Chile: Gaps, practices, and perceptions of media representation in Chilean audiences

Summary

This article explores the practices of media audiences regarding local identity. The article analyzes the perception of through discourses about media representation, as well as their uses. Based on a qualitative approach –that includes research on life diaries combined with semi-structured interviews (N=36)- the study revealed a gap between people from the center and the periphery of the country. Audiences define differently what is considered as “local” according to their location in the center or the periphery. Also, those who live in the periphery feel misrepresented in the media. Thus, they feel a stereotyped treatment in national media, which focuses on the interests of audiences located in the center of the country.