The Premiere of "The Exorcist" (1975) in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte: Critical Discourse Analysis of the Newspapers Diário de Natal, O Poti, and Tribuna do Norte.
Media Studies; Critical Discourse Analysis; Nata
In April 1975, after censorship was void, the city of Natal, which had 200,000 inhabitants at the time, received the film “The Exorcist.” The global horror classic quickly generated curiosity in the press and, consequently, young people sought to watch the feature film at Cine Rio Grande. The dissertation analyzes the coverage of the premiere of The Exorcist in Natal through Critical Discourse Analysis applied to the newspapers Diário de Natal, O Poti, and Tribuna do Norte. The film, famous for articulating psychological horror and religion, provoked a strong social reaction. The study investigates how the political, moral, and religious context influences journalistic narratives, producing feelings of fear, curiosity, and control. In addition, it observes the press acting as a symbolic mediator, impacting cultural reception, local film programming, and the construction of memories.