Afinal, o que a classe média quer ver no Jornal do Almoço? : um estudo de recepção junto a telespectadores gaúchos

Abstract

The present study investigates how the middle classes - the social strata that have shown the most growth in numbers in Brazil in the past few years - think of Jornal do Almoço, the most traditional TV news program in southern Brazil, produced by RBS TV. We researched the history and the production of the show that has been aired at noon for more than 40 years now. Social and economical questionnaires were conducted with the viewers as well as comprehensive surveys to assess what they want to watch in midday TV, specially in Jornal do Almoço. By analyzing habits, costumes, preferences and opinions of these viewers, we investigated the ―ritual‖ of watching Jornal do Almoço. Details like where the TV set was placed in the house, parallel activities taken while the show was on and the viewers reactions to what was presented were also taken into account. These observations were confronted with the changes in the program, implemented from 2010, as part of ―RBS´s plan of action‖ which made Jornal do Almoço into a more news and entertainment oriented attraction. To emphasize the daily ritual of watching the program, we adopted the Media and Cultural Theory as a model, specially de Institutionality, technicity and rituality by Jesús Marin-Barbero (2009). In general, our study shows that the middle classes are interested in news and want to keep themselves up to date, even though they consider that the program is primarily aimed at more popular classes than their own, i.e. classes D and E. Thus, it would be possible to ascertain that the content of Jornal do Almoço, even after the changes it went through, is still somehow disconnected with the middle class proper - which is the foundation of its audience