The Way of Saint James and the Xacobeo as polysemic phenomena: Reflections through the study of their media image

This paper analyzes the construction of the image of the Way of Saint James and the Xacobeo based on the examination of its media coverage in the national press. The main objective is to verify the plurality and richness of meanings, values and functions as a result of the coexistence of the multiple dimensions that converge in this space. For this purpose, a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the journalistic texts published between 2000 and 2019 is carried out through the My News library, considering various variables such as the global frequency of these terms, the section in which the information is located, the discursive genre used, the geographic scope of attention, the main keywords or the most frequent thematic dimensions, among others. The analysis of the new media scenarios in which the Spanish press positions the Way of Saint James and the Xacobeo fundamentally reveal its cultural and tourist dimension. The projection of a public image is thus discovered that is, in this sense, partial and selective. These findings have important implications for the communication strategy and positioning of this pilgrimage route.