They invite ceremonial audiences to manifest their loyalty to these norms, and to the institutions that uphold them. Contests stress the turning points of the democratic curriculum. They celebrate the very existence of a forum open to public bate. They point to the necessity of interpreting and debating the norms. They are celebrations of pluralism, of the diversity of legitimate positions.
Contests call for reflexivity.
They invite their audiences to an attitude of deliberation. Conquests are probably the most consequential of media events. They are also the rarest. They take the form of political or diplomatic initiatives aiming at a swift change in public opinion on a given subject. They are attempts at rephrasing a society's history, at redefining the identity of its members.