The Referendum for Independence in Catalonia and Newspaper Coverage: The Importance of Regional and Political Factors

This thesis analyzes the role of the news media in the Referendum for Independence in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia. More specifically, I seek to shed light on if a newspaper\u27s geographical location or political views result in biased media coverage. Based on communications theory, I argue that news coverage can shape the public\u27s political opinion and attitudes. My research analyzed the reporting of two core newspapers by sampling articles from a major newspaper based in Madrid, El País, and a newspaper based in Catalonia, La Vanguardia. My results suggest that the newspaper\u27s location and distribution had a greater impact on coverage compared to its political and ideological leanings