From The Spain is different to the Party is over. The image of Spain through The Economist (2008-2009)

Abstract

The main purpose of this work is not to analyze the economic vision that The Economist offers on our country, but to examine whether the prestigious British magazine perpetuates age-old clichés with which Spain has traditionally been characterized. I refer to the emphasis placed by various social, economical and political agents on the gestation and the development of the so-called Spain Brand project. Under such eagerness rests the desire that our external image, may be observable not only from that scope, but may culture and other aspects of our society be another link in our economic projection. This whole sense is what provides the setting for my research. Indeed, given the multiplied presence that Spain
has been taking in the foreign press from the 90’s, its repeated appearance in The Economist reveals not only the growing importance of our country, but also how our European neighbours, to some extent, are repeating the clichés that our cultural policy seeks to banish. Finally, it will also be analyzed the impact that the articles in the aforementioned British magazine will have in Spain, and whether our own media give them concerned significance. In this sense I tried to show whether the Spanish media have adopted or not the ideas held by the British publication under its ideological and political interests.