Representations of the Roma people in the Spanish quality press: A critical discourse analysis of El País,La Vanguardia,and ABC (1981–2010)

Abstract

This article analyzes the journalistic discourse on the Roma people in Spain, covering the period from 1981 to 2010, when the print press was preeminent. The study focuses on three newspapers with different political orientations: El País, ABC, and La Vanguardia. It is presented as a multi-method study based on critical discourse analysis. The quantitative stage identifies specific term collocations in a corpus of over 1.5 million words, while the qualitative phase examines in depth a series of particularly prominent headlines. Nomination and predication strategies are reviewed, as well as elements related to the denial of racism. The overall analysis shows that presupposition and delegitimization have shaped representations of Roma in Spanish quality press, adapting and intensifying as this group became associated with international migration.