Research Reports

07-01-2005

Local level journalism and Democracy indicators in Latin America

By Fernando J. Ruiz

SUMMARY
The worst areas in Latin America to practice
journalism in the last semester
- BLACK AREA
- RED AREAS
- BROWN AREA
Improvements in some of the worst areas reported in last semester's report
The owners and the democratic quality of the press
The presidents and journalism
Judges and journalism
Congressmen and journalism
Famous phrases

Executive Summary

Cuba there has been no progress but rather a worsening of the independent journalist’s situation. Particularly worrying is the situation of the twenty two condemned journalists who are suffering persecution in prison.

Colombia there has been a slight improvement but it continues to be a country where journalists’ lives run enormous risks.

Mexico, the danger is increasing and the authorities do not punish the murdere’s impunity.

Haiti the semblance of order that was achieved midway through last year has been broken. The risk of violence against the press is increasing. Following the referendum won by the Venezuelan Government, an institutional and legal structure is being built that potentially will place restrictions on press freedom.

Latin America there exists a group of presidents who are critical of the role of the press and at times their attitudes are repressive, clientelistic and they withhold information. This is improper behavior in democratic scenarios. Legislative activity referring to the media is increasing in the entire region with the intention of renewing its legal framework

Whereas the authoritarian structures are being maintained fairly stable, in Latin America journalistic professionalism is increasing. These two factors are like two trains traveling in opposite directions. This makes it foreseeable that conflicts with the press will increase. It is possible that in several of the more modern cities this conflictive situation will be contained or take on less violent forms, but in the outlaying areas where there is less democratic quality, the result will be the opposite.

About the author

Fernando J. Ruiz is a professor of Journalism and Democracy at the School of Communication of the Austral University and Advisor of Journalism and Democracy Area of the Centre for the Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL). He has a Ph.D. in Public Communication from the University of Navarra where he obtained the extraordinary award for his thesis.

He is the author of the books "Las palabras son acciones: Historia política y profesional del diario La Opinión, 1971-1977" (Perfil Libros) and "Otra grieta en la pared. Informe y testimonios de la nueva prensa cubana (CADAL / Konrad Adenauer Stiftung). He coordinated the publication of the book "Prensa y Congreso: trama de relaciones y representación social" (La Crujía Ediciones).

Fernando J. Ruiz

Academic Advisor

Fernando J. Ruiz studied Political Science and earned a PhD in Communication. As a journalist and researcher he traveled and gave courses and conferences in almost all Latin American countries. He was a founding member and president of the Argentine Journalism Forum 2019-2021 and a jury member of the Colpin Award (Latin American Conference of Investigative Journalism). He was a consultant for Voces del Sur, the organization that brings together the region's main journalists' organizations. He is a full time professor and researcher at the School of Communication of Universidad Austral and a member of the National Academy of Journalism. He is the author of the following books: Las palabras son acciones. Historia política y profesional del diario La Opinión de Jacobo Timerman, 1971-1977 ("Words are Actions. Political and Professional History of the Newspaper La Opinión of Jacobo Timerman, 1971-1977") (Perfil, 2001); Otra grieta en la pared: informe y testimonios de la nueva prensa cubana ("Another crack in the Wall: Report and Testimonies of the New Cuban Press") (La Crujía, 2003); El señor de los mercados: historia de Ámbito Financiero, 1976-2001 ("The Lord of the Markets: A History of Ámbito Financiero, 1976-2001") (El Ateneo, 2005); Guerras mediáticas. Las grandes batallas periodísticas desde la Revolución de Mayo hasta la actualidad ("Media Wars. Great Journalistic Battles from the May Revolution to the Present Day") (Sudamericana, 2014); Cazadores de noticias. Doscientos años en la vida cotidiana de los periodistas ("News Hunters. Two Hundred Years in the Daily Life of Journalists") (Ariel, 2018); and Imágenes paganas: periodismo, democracia y pandemia en Argentina y América Latina ("Pagan Images: Journalism, Democracy and Pandemic in Argentina and Latin America") (Cadal/Adenauer, 2021).