By Ester Borges
In recent years, Latin America has undergone a significant transformation in the media landscape, driven by the interaction between journalism and the internet. The study ‘Media Organization and Disinformation in Latin America: A Bibliographic Study’, conducted by the independent research center InternetLab, comprehensively examined Latin American scholars’ research on the organization of media in the region and its relationship with the spread of disinformation. This study emphasizes the importance of understanding how traditional structures influence the dissemination of information.
The article highlights three topics of great interest among scholars in the region. Firstly, it discusses the organization of independent or local media, defined as those seeking editorial and financial autonomy, as well as self-governance, to differentiate themselves from traditional press. These studies examine how this media is organized in a region with few regulatory frameworks related to media monopolies.
Secondly, there is an analysis of the concept of public interest journalism, which aims to promote content of political and social relevance, resembling a public good. This emphasizes the importance of press information as a good available inclusively and non-rivalrous to society and explores alternatives to maintaining this type of journalism considering the increasing free circulation of information on the Internet and social media.
Finally, trends in communication for the region are examined, with a clear concern among Latin American scholars about how the journalism business model is adapting to digitization and attempts to map out trends for the coming years within universities and newspaper newsrooms.
It is common to find texts discussing the evolution of digital journalism in the region, with the growing influence of the internet, social media, and algorithms in the production and distribution of journalistic content. The interactivity provided by blogs and the active participation of readers has redefined the role of the journalist, making the audience a key participant in communication. To know more, access the complete study, click here.
