Latin American Journalism

Produced to fill a gap in current knowledge about the state of journalism in Latin America, this timely book chronicles how recent changes toward democratization and privatization in the region have influenced mass media industries and the practice of journalism. Written as a tribute to earlier books about the development and status of Latin American news organizations, this text provides a readable overview of journalism in the area. Unlike those in previous works, these chapters are divided by issues and subject matter instead of by nations and regions. Each chapter concludes with a "spotlight" case study to illustrate the reading material. These features -- along with several easy-to- follow tables, topical examples suitable for class discussions, and a variety of sources including original interviews with media professionals -- all combine to form the most up-to-date book currently available on this constantly changing subject.

The Parrot and the Cannon is a study of the inception and development of Latin American literary journalism and the emergence of an original Latin American literature. Narrative journalism has played a central role in the formation of national identities of the various countries and in the supra-national idea of Latin America as a consolidated region. Beginning in the 1840s and ending in the 1970s, Calvi connects the evolution of literary journalism with the consolidation of Latin America’s literary sphere, the professional practice of journalism, the development of the modern mass media, and the establishment of nation-states in the region.

The twelve essayswritten exclusively for this publication - examine either an aspect of the mass media in the region or the media in a particular country during a number of stages of its political development.

The history of Latin American journalism is ultimately the story of a people who have been silenced over the centuries, primarily Native Americans, women, peasants, and the urban poor. This book seeks to correct the record propounded by most English-language surveys of Latin American journalism, which tend to neglect pre-Columbian forms of reporting, the ways in which technology has been used as a tool of colonization, and the Latin American conceptual foundations of a free press. Challenging the conventional notion of a free marketplace of ideas in a region plagued with serious problems of poverty, violence, propaganda, political intolerance, poor ethics, journalism education deficiencies, and media concentration in the hands of an elite, Ferreira debunks the myth of a free press in Latin America. The diffusion of colonial presses in the New World resulted in the imposition of a structural censorship with elements that remain to this day. They include ethnic and gender discrimination, technological elitism, state and religious authoritarianism, and ideological controls. Impoverished, afraid of crime and violence, and without access to an effective democracy, ordinary Latin Americans still live silenced by ruling actors that include a dominant and concentrated media. Thus, not only is the press not free in Latin America, but it is also itself an instrument of oppression.

"Latin American journalism is currently experiencing some important transformations, with potential changes to how news is produced, shared, financed and consumed. This book provides a comprehensive overview of current journalism in Latin America, contextualized by global literature and regional empirical evidence. It is an important addition to our understanding of digital journalism and a must-read for those interested in journalism in Latin America." Dr. Vanessa de Macedo Higgins Joyce, Texas State University, USA This book explores innovative approaches to digital and data journalism in Latin America, brought by both legacy media and newcomers to the industry, with the purpose of examining this changing media landscape. As part of the Global South, Latin America has shown significant influence in the promotion of data and digital technologies applied to journalism in recent years. In this region, news entrepreneurs are becoming an essential source of innovation in news production, circulation, and distribution. The book considers news media, particularly in Latin America, as an open set of practices intertwined in the evolution of technology. It discusses the transformation of the Latin American news media ecosystem and considers how it has shaped the industry despite local differences. The study fills a significant gap in academic scholarship by addressing the multiple external factors, mainly political and economic, which have contributed to the relative lack of studies on the patterns of journalism in this region. Ramón Salaverría is Associate Dean of Research at the School of Communication, University of Navarra, Spain, where he heads the Digital News Media Research Group. Author of over 200 scholarly publications, his research focuses on digital journalism and media convergence, both in national and international comparative studies. Mathias-Felipe de-Lima-Santos is a researcher at the University of Navarra, Spain, under the JOLT project, a Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Training Network funded by the European Commission's Horizon 2020. Previously, he was a Visiting Researcher at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He researches changing journalistic practice with a particular focus on business models, data, and novel technologies.

Media Systems and Communication Policies in Latin America proposes, tests and analyses the liberal captured model. It explores to what extent to which globalisation, marketization, commercialism, regional bodies and the nation State redefine the media's role in Latin American societies.

Gabriela Polit Dueñas analyzes the work of five narrative journalists from three countries. Marcela Turati, Daniela Rea, and Sandra Rodriguez from Mexico, Patricia Nieto from Colombia, and María Eugenia Ludueña from Argentina produce compelling literary works, but also work under dangerous, intense conditions. What drives and shapes their stories are their affective responses to the events and people they cover. The book offers an insightful analysis of the emotional challenges, the stress and traumatic conditions journalists face when reporting on the region’s most pressing problems. It combines ethnographic observations of the journalists’ work, textual analysis, and a theoretical reflection on the ethical dilemmas journalists confront on a daily basis. Unwanted Witnesses puts forward a necessary discussion about the place contemporary journalists occupy in the field of production, and how the risks they run speak directly about the limits of our democracies.

This edited book aims at bringing together a range of contemporary expertise that can shed light on the relationship between media pluralism in Latin America and processes of democratization and social justice. In doing so, the authors of the book provide empirically grounded theoretical insight into the extent to which questions about media pluralism--broadly understood as the striving for diverse and inclusive media spheres--are an essential part of scholarly debates on democratic governance. The rise in recent years of authoritarianism, populism and nationalism, both in fragile and stable democratic systems, makes media pluralism an intellectual and empirical cornerstone of any debate about the future of democratic governance around the world. This book--useful for students and researchers on topics such as Media, Communications, Latin American Studies and Politics--aims to make a contribution to such debate by approaching some pressing questions about the relationship of Latin American governments with media structures, journalistic practices, the communication capabilities of vulnerable populations and the expressive opportunities of the general public.