mediatico

Mediático is an adjective used in Spanish and Portuguese to describe anything pertaining to the mass media or to media coverage. The term derives from medio (medium) and the suffix -ático, similarly to other adjectives such as técnico or político. In Spanish, mediático can describe individuals, events, topics, or processes that are prominent in news reporting or public discourse. In Portuguese, mediático igualmente denotes media-related phenomena and is used in similar contexts.

In everyday usage, phrases such as tema mediático, campaña mediática, or crisis mediática denote topics, campaigns, or events that attract sustained media attention. The concept is closely linked to mediatización (mediatization), the broader process by which media shapes perceptions of reality, politics, culture, and everyday life. In political communication and marketing, mediático is often used to describe campaigns designed for wide visibility or sensational appeal, sometimes labeled as guerra mediática.

Critically, the term can carry a pejorative nuance when used to imply that attention is manufactured or superficial rather than informing the public. In academic and journalistic discourse, mediático is balanced with discussions of media influence, agenda-setting, and the responsibilities of journalism.

In Italian, the term mediatico is used similarly to describe media-related topics, with gender agreement (mediatico for masculine nouns, mediatica for feminine nouns); common expressions include guerra mediatica and campagna mediatica. In all languages, mediático denotes the relationship between subjects and mass media, emphasizing prominence, publicity, and media-driven influence without prescribing a value judgment by itself.