The parts and the whole of the story: Exemplars as argumentative strategy in Chilean news

Abstract

Exemplification is crucial for people’s perception of the world and is common in mass media. Exemplars in news stories, however, are not necessarily accurate and could mislead audiences. This study relies on a content analysis to examine the extent of particular case reporting in a Chilean newspaper sample covering 25 years (1991-2015). Results show that particular cases (or exemplars) are widespread in the Chilean press, with a steady increase over the years.