Media Movements: Civil Society and Media Policy Reform in Latin America

Abstract

The book examines recent experiences of civic movements interested in promoting changes in media and information policies in contemporary Latin America. The study examines a rich set of cases from the region in order to analyze goals, tactics, opportunities and impact. The analysis is aimed at discussing three issues at the center of contemporary global media studies and social movements: how organized citizens directly affect policy-making; the persistence of the national and the state as spaces for collective action and power; and the dynamics of collaboration between international and national actors in social and policy change. The argument is as follows. During the past two decades, civic movements have adopted various tactics (from contention to coalition-building) to promotes changes in media and information systems. They have raised awareness about deficits for media pluralism, promoted policy changes, participated in the drafting of technical documents and congressional bills, and monitored the implementation of new laws. These are unprecedented developments in the field of media policy in the region, as they suggest new forms of engagement and novel positions of civil society vis-à-vis state and market actors. Media movements, as we call these initiatives, are not necessarily oppositional, alternative forces that act as a counterweight to the state and the market. Rather, they take various positions according to specific political junctures and opportunities in order to achieve objectives. The confluence of civic actions and government initiatives in support of policy reforms offers a rich laboratory to analyze current trends, and shed light on important theoretical questions in the literature. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews conducted by the authors with key participants (NGOs, political parties, media workers´ unions, cooperatives, scholars, community media) in policy-making processes in several countries, and the analysis of policy documents and academic writings. The study brings together three academic literatures: media policy, social movements, and global social change. The integration of concepts and arguments from these literatures is necessary to produce a comprehensive and nuanced approach to the study of civic participation and media policy. The study focuses on the actions of elites and citizens in shaping media policy and the use of various strategies to influence policy-making in the context of global and regional networks and debates about a range of media and information issues.