Mediatização da justiça
: opinião, notícias e factos : o caso Isaltino Morais

  • Sónia Maria Antas de Barros Amado Gonçalves (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

The present research thesis aims to, from the point of view of communication, assess the impact of the mediatization of justice coverage in the shaping and formulation of the public opinion. The research of the current field work focuses on the case of Isaltino Morais. The interest that the most mediatized cases raise in the media has a particular impact on how they treated by the news and therefore how these cases are perceived by public opinion. It is legitimate to ask whether the media pursue pre-defined objectives in the way how they treat the afore-mentioned cases, or the latter are mere consequences of such a treatment. The relationship between the media and justice raises several questions and is a source of an intense debate. The question that arises is that of whether there should be a split between the two areas, and on what terms, or if, on the other hand there should be a closer link between the media and justice with the aim of informing the public opinion and ensuring the principles of democracy are truly materialized. The key point of the current research is to analyse the relationship between the public, the media and the facts inherent to the judicial legal process related to the Isaltino Morais case. In the referred case, there are charge and a criminal conviction, both which are important elements to measure the judgment of the public opinion. Nonetheless, it is important to pose several questions. Does the public has the some knowledge of the process as the one possessed by the courts? Did the media contribute to this knowledge? In a first phase, we aim to analyse, from a theoretical point of view, the main aspects related to the concept of public opinion, the media and the principle of confidentiality inherent to the judicial process, which are paramount to the Portuguese legal procedural process, as well as to the due and regular functioning of the justice system in Portugal. With the main goal of obtaining reliable information relevant to the research work of the present thesis, a mixed research methodology has been utilized. These methods are described in the following paragraph. Questionnaires were applied to a universe of 173 people; the pleadings of Isaltino Morais case were studied; the news published by the newspapers Correio da Manhã, Público and Expresso at the time of the indictment and the final judgment were taken analysed and taken into consideration. An oral interview with the former mayor was also conducted with the goal of providing the personal point of view the main party of the current research work. Despite the existence of a personal direct relationship between the author of the present thesis, serving as lawyer, and the research case, this fact does not influences the objectivity of the current research work, as the research has been conducted in a scientific and with an approach that only allows a pure objective analysis of the facts and reality inherent to the case studied, and which main goal was to safeguard the present research work. This scientific approach allows therefore an in-depth look at the theories and concepts, which will enable a set of conclusions in response to the questions posed throughout the thesis. This work will show that the current triangular relation between public opinion, media and justice is far from perfect. We must therefore understand the role of each of this components in the complex web of intrisicated relationships and principles that only in a purely philosophical domain, it could be described as perfect.
Date of Award12 Jan 2017
Original languagePortuguese
Awarding Institution
  • Universidade Católica Portuguesa
SupervisorFernando Ilharco (Supervisor)

Keywords

  • Public opinion
  • Justice
  • Prosecution
  • Judgment
  • Confidentiality principle
  • Legal process
  • Media

Designation

  • Mestrado em Ciências da Comunicação

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