What Defines Journalism in/from the Global South? Insights from Latin America

Abstract

Is it possible to speak about Argentine journalism in/from the Global South? Can it be understood as different from its counterpart in the Global North? Drawing insights from Argentina, we question arguments linking journalism ideals and practices to global binaries grounded in historical, geopolitical, and cultural formations. The particular trajectory of journalism in the country related to the rich history of journalism in the region shows constant traffic of ideas, both regionally and globally, that inspired conceptions of journalistic norms and practices. While journalism has been historically exposed to global, traveling models, including flows of ideas, formats, styles, and economics, it has combined them with distinctive local and national factors – from culture to politics to working conditions. The results are hybrid journalism traditions that have meshed foreign experiences, particularly from France, Spain, and the United States, with local expectations and conditions. We hypothesize that no “single” model of journalism might reflect “essential” Latin America visions, but fluid models adjusted to local realities.