ISSN 2386-7876 – © 2016 Communication & Society, 29(1), 69-81 69 Media and contemporary tattoo Abstract Tattoo phenomenon, initially associated with traditional ethnic groups and later with marginal cultures, has in recent decades experienced unprecedented expression in contemporary societies spreading out into very diverse segments of the population, where this practice was heretofore alien. Originally associated with rituals and sacred rites, for some, tattoos have become increasingly fashionable, with this trend largely driven by mediated diffusion channels. Accordingly, the presence of tattoos is evident in the street as well as in the media. This paper is an approach to the role of the media in this state of affairs. During the course of this research, in-depth interviews were carried out with professional tattoo artists and individuals who have been tattooed, in order to learn about the various aspects involved in the mediation of the tattoo and in its execution. As a result of these interviews, it has been established that media have influenced the increase in popularity of this practice, both from the clear perspective of the tattoo’s quantitative presence in urban environments, and from the different ways in which visibility has been granted to the tattoo by the media through various platforms and formats involving a variety of areas ranging from, among others, the training of tattoo artists, visual styles, social legitimization of their use, the personal meaning given to tattoos and the reasons for getting tattooed, among others. Keywords Contemporary tattoo, media, reality show, body, fashion 1. Introduction As is widely known, tattoo is part of a series of ritual practices carried out by different social groups which can be found in communities across all five continents. The ritual charge associated with the marking of the skin, either by means of transient or permanent designs, has been widely studied by anthropologists who have examined the lives and the values which have structured those societies whose reality does not form a part of the industrialized world. It is also a well-known fact that the raids carried out by European empires in very distant lands allowed contact with a repertoire of practices that were gradually incorporated into the metropolis. Initially, and for many years to come, tattoo was thus associated with those who were labelled as "wild", and later tattoo Alejandra Walzer awalzer@hum.uc3m.es Associate Professor. Department of Journalism and Audiovisual Communication, Faculty of Humanities. Carlos III University of Madrid. Spain Pablo Sanjurjo psanjurj@hum.uc3m.es Assistant Professor. Department of Journalism and Audiovisual Communication, Faculty of Humanities. Carlos III University of Madrid. Spain Submitted July 17, 2015 Approved October 6, 2015 © 2016 Communication & Society ISSN 0214-0039 E ISSN 2386-7876 doi: 10.15581/003.29.1.69-81 www.communication-society.com 2016 – Vol. 29(1), pp. 69-81 How to cite this article: Walzer, A. & Sanjurjo, P. (2016). Media and contemporary tattoo. Communication & Society 29(1), 69- 81. This article discusses specific aspects of a more extensive piece of research, carried out thanks to a mobility research fellowship for professors at universities of recognized prestige, conferred by Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and carried out at Columbia University, School of Arts, New York in 2013.