Abstract
This chapter examines the case of Diario CoLatino, a more than 100-year-old leftist, alternative newspaper. This chapter indicates that CoLatino created more of a space for representation than for actual expression or participation. When it came to technology, a seeming lack of resources, training, vision, and even desire prevented CoLatino from using digital tools to move beyond representation and interaction to actual expression and participation. The subjects’ pride in their professional identity as journalists also hindered participation through technology. Despite having verbalized their recognition of the participatory and liberating potential of ICTs, the journalists maintained their mediator roles, speaking on behalf of the voiceless rather than using technology to let the voiceless speak for themselves.
A previous version of this chapter was published in the journal Cuadernos.Info.
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Notes
- 1.
(1) What are the perceived changes, if any, to the Salvadoran alternative media projects’ identities and news processes because of ICTs, particularly social media?; (2) What are the perceived changes, if any, in the meaning of citizen participation in alternative media because of ICTs, particularly social media?; (3) What key obstacles do the alternative media projects face in incorporating digital technologies, and how do those obstacles influence the usefulness and relevancy that the study participants assign to these tools?; (4) Under what circumstances have (or have not) these alternative media projects managed to successfully use digital technologies in liberating ways?; (5) What are the perceived values, drawbacks, and challenges of using ICTs, particularly social media, for social change?
- 2.
Word frequencies were conducted using NVivo. Word frequencies were generated after designating certain “stop words” that were omitted from the count, such as articles, helping verbs, transition words, and filler words (i.e., “you see?”).
- 3.
Journalists’ names were changed to protect their identity.
- 4.
Prensa Gráfica and Diario de Hoy are the leading mainstream dailies in El Salvador.
- 5.
An estimated 8,000 Salvadorans were victims of forced disappearances during the civil war.
- 6.
Since the fieldwork for this project ended, many of CoLatino’s journalists and photographers were provided with company smartphones and told to post to Facebook and Twitter while reporting.
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Harlow, S. (2017). Diario CoLatino. In: Liberation Technology in El Salvador. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48039-8_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48039-8_3
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