Dichotomy between "us" and "them": the Catalan cause in the press

The following study aims to be a critical approach to the political situation in Spain in relation to the autonomous region of Catalonia. We tried to make an analytical treatment of the Catalan conflict in the national and Catalan press, from the celebration of the Diada, on September 11 of each year, until the imprisonment of the leaders of the process on November 02, 2017. Therefore, an attempt was also made to collect samples throughout the months of September until November 2017 to analyze them qualitatively, dealing with opinion articles. Therefore, the methodological design of the research focuses on examining the treatment made by the reference press, both state and regional (Catalan, Basque, Galician), about Catalan independence in their opinion articles (editorials). The sample is made up of 10 newspapers. The results obtained reveal the position of each newspaper on this controversial issue. The conclusions of the case highlight the primordial importance of the press as the fourth power of the State and, at the same time, its capacity to reshape public opinion.