Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Media Wars and the New Left: Governability and Media Democratisation in Argentina and Brazil

2016; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 48; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0022216x15001509

1469-767X

Philip Kitzberger,

Politics and Society in Latin America

Abstract This article examines the determinants of government strategies towards dominant media actors in the light of increased questioning of the media's role in democratic politics. It compares the first two Kirchnerist presidencies in Argentina with the first two PT-led governments in Brazil. While these governments initially adopted accommodation strategies, political crises subsequently disturbed the coexistence of media and government, triggering divergent responses. The study offers an account of media policy options and shifts based upon (i) constraints stemming from political-structural variables, (ii) governmental perceptions of oppositional media power and of civil society allies' strength and (iii) learning from critical junctures that reshaped policy preferences. In sum, the article provides insights into the ways the media realm has become an arena of political struggle in Latin America.