Democratic Consolidation in Latin America

Democratic consolidation in Latin American countries has been a very drawn out process, beginning with the introduction of a liberal-democratic governmental system in the 1970’s and 1980’s when the strong grip of the military began to loosen throughout the region, and spanning until the present day. Although many factors have been at play throughout the past decades, the various types of media outlets throughout Latin American countries have played a crucial role in the integration of democracy into society. While it is difficult to determine exactly how these media outlets have contributed to democratization in a general sense, Rick Rockwell introduces five factors to help establish the influences each type of media has on the society as a whole: 

“(1) The distance in time from particular watershed political-military events (e.g. civil wars, guerilla wars, major military invasions), (2) general economic conditions for journalists, (3) demonstratable general shifts in ideology and ethics, (4) genuine state policies aimed at curtailing corrupt practices, and (5) the political and cultural influence of the United States in a particular country (e.g. U. S. support for educational programs for journalists, cultural exchange, or other international assistance programs” (Rockwell, 183).