In the present article we aim at presenting and analysis of the conceptual horizon of the genre ping-pong interview, from magazine journalism. The theoretical methodological basis concerns the theory of speech genres and the theory of dialogical analysis of Bakhtin Circle. The research data is composed by the ping-pong interviews published on the weekly magazines CartaCapital, ISTOÉ and Veja, from October 4th. to November 8th., 2006, which corresponds to the period of the coverage of the second round of the presidential elections in Brazil. It is possible to highlight, as research results, the social indexes of value materialized through the social role of the interviewee. The ethos of interviewee is given to the readers that are in an asymmetric relation with the other readers; they are selected according to their social role, which validates and qualifies them to assume the interviewee's position. Then, the guide line in the interview is the interviewee and his speech, which is "soaked" with valuation, disbelieved, contested or exalted. The valuation given to the interviewee materializes itself through his social role that is validated by the social "opinions" and by what had already been said about this object (the interviewee).
conceptual horizon; interviewee's social role; ping-pong interview
