Fear, Ideology, and Propaganda: A Study of the Chilean Media during the Summer of 1973

Abstract

On September 11th, 1973, a coup d’etat installed General Augusto Pinochet as leader of the South American nation of Chile. For the next seventeen years, he ruled the country under a brutal dictatorship. The coup marked the end of the presidency of Salvador Allende, the first democratically elected socialist in the Americas. This thesis aims to analyze print media coverage throughout the one hundred days before the coup d’etat that installed Pinochet. By analyzing the themes, messaging, symbolism, and visual choices of these newspapers spanning the political spectrum, the goal is to discern the political implications of this largely polarized media ecosystem. Ultimately, I have determined through my analysis that if we accept the circumstantial evidence that the media molded public opinion, potent thematic elements, symbolism, and certain styles of messaging most likely cumulatively worked to exacerbate pre-existing inflamed tensions in Chile, destabilized the foundations of Salvador Allende’s Popular Unity government, and deepened political divides - all of which played a crucial role in the events of September 11th, 1973. Given the deep, lasting scar that Pinochet’s regime has left on Chile and the Chilean people, it is all the more important to understand what led to this violent regime change.