Beyond Media Systems: Corporate-Consensus and Confrontational Media Regimes in Three Latin American Cases

Abstract

The term captured-liberal has been proposed as an approach to Latin American media systems. Here, we contend these systems result from the region’s particular democratization path (i.e., competitive and open access to power but a flawed exercise of power). We also contend that since media systems operate at structural levels, the concept does not seem flexible enough to explain conjunctural variations and particular dynamics in the media landscape. We propose that these aspects are better explained by looking at regimes (roles) rather than systems (structures). Thus, we advance the concept of media regimes, which, by responding to the political orientation of the government in office, incarnates into two forms in some Latin American cases: a corporate-consensus or a confrontational media regime.