The Mediatization of the Romanian Revolution. The Communist Model and the Liberal Model of the Press

Most studies on the media coverage of the Romanian Revolution explore the chronology of events and generally mention that manipulation and misinformation led to the circulation of false information, which caused confusion. In this context, the present study aims for a broader approach to the subject, seeking to identify the specific techniques that led to communication pathologies. To this end, the study examines scientific articles, journalistic resources from the period of December 19-24, 1989, as well as the conclusions from the Revolution Dossier. The method used is discourse analysis, meaning the identification of senses behind the texts. The research focused on presenting how the communist model of the press and the liberal model reported on the Romanian Revolution. The main results show that the existing communication pathologies were demonization, manichaeism, psychosis, fake news, rumors, and constitutive rhetoric. The study aims to fill existing gaps in research by addressing the topic from journalistic, legal, and scientific perspectives.