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Article snippet: BARCELONA, Spain — If Spain has not split in two, its media almost has. There, the struggle over the restive region of Catalonia plays out in parallel universes. From Madrid, the region’s secessionist drive is portrayed as an act of sedition deserving to be put down. In Catalonia, the narrative is more about aspirations for self-determination by a people with a distinct identity. “We’ve got parallel story lines led by extremist representations that are filled with clichés,” said Enric Hernàndez, the editor of the Barcelona-based newspaper El Periódico. The central government in Madrid may soon try to align those narratives by taking charge of Catalonia’s public broadcasters, Catalunya Radio and its larger sister television company, TV3. The move could come as soon as this weekend, after another tense and unpredictable round in the standoff. The Catalan Parliament will meet Thursday to review a possible declaration of independence, a day before the Spanish Senate is expected to approve a raft of emergency measures under Article 155 of the Constitution to give Madrid direct control over the region. Among those measures, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy wants to guarantee “truthful, objective and balanced” coverage in Catalonia. Such a media takeover would be a direct strike at Catalan institutions that have been instrumental in promoting a separate culture and language. It would also put the Spanish government on a path toward reducing media freedom in ways that worry ... Link to the full article to read more