“La hora de la verdad". An analysis of the 60 Minutos news broadcast, before, during and after the Malvinas War (1982))

Abstract

The aim of this article is to analyze a number of 60 Minutos broadcasts, a program created in 1979, during the last Argentinian dictatorship (1976-1983) The main objective is to analyze the narrative and aesthetics of the program before, during and after the Argentine-British conflict over the Falklands Islands (April 2-June 14, 1982). During the conflict, the program became the most watched on Argentine television, interrupting its usual format to devote itself almost entirely to what was happening in the South Atlantic. The main hypothesis is that, during the conflict, the program does not maintain a homogeneous narrative. While until the first armed confrontations a triumphalism associated to the Christian spirit and the intrinsic virtue of the Argentine being prevails, after the official declaration of the war this narrative is transformed into the preparation of a scenario of worthy defeat that highlights the effort made by the national soldiers and the vileness of the foreign enemy. After the surrender, the program seeks to slowly return to the usual variety of subjects. The analyzed broadcasts are part of the collection of the Historical Archive of Argentine Radio and Television (TV Pública).