Abstract. The general hypothesis of the work is that fame generated by media plays a part in creating opinion by legitimising anthropomorphic icons which, as models, assist in structuring the present day's social hierarchies. Based on a field study about television news and on a case study of Operación Triunfo, the articles concludes that media fame, which plays a decisive role in the formation of public opinion, express the nature of the media. as creators of a virtual reality and synthesisers of actual reality.