In the mass media in Bolivia there are nearly 200 privately owned television stations, but because rural regions of the country have few televisions and television reception is poor in many areas of the country, radio remains an important news disseminator.[1] As of 2006, Bolivia had more than 480 radio stations, most of which were regional in scope.[1] Bolivia also has eight national newspapers, in addition to many local ones.[1] Of the national papers, four are based in La Paz, three in Santa Cruz, and one in Cochabamba.[1] As of 2006, most Bolivians continued to get their news from newspapers and radio broadcasts.[1]
The Bolivian constitution protects freedom of the press and speech.[1] Most newspapers take antigovernment positions.[1] Both state-owned and privately owned radio stations operate without government censorship.[1] Some restrictions do exist, however.[1] The Penal Code demands jail time for those persons found guilty of slandering, insulting, or defaming public officials.[1] In particular, the president, vice president, and ministers are protected by the Penal Code.[1] Those charged with violating press standards are brought before the independent La Paz Press Tribunal.[1]
History of the Bolivian media
Radio service began in Bolivia in 1927. Two years later, the country's official broadcaster National Radio of Bolivia (NRB) was formed. Television service began in 1963, with the formation of the government-owned Channel 7 network.[citation needed]
Bolivian governments historically recognized the political significance of the media and attempted to censor communication channels employed by the opposition.[2] In the 1940s, the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR) utilized the daily La Calle to mobilize support for its cause.[2] During the revolution, the MNR purged unfavorable news media and established La Nación as the official news organization.[2] Military governments, in particular, subjected journalists to harassment, jail terms, and exile.[2] The Banzer government, for example, expelled many journalists from the country.[2] In the early part of the 1980s, General García Meza closed down several radio stations and ordered the creation of a state-run network binding all private stations.[2] Many Bolivian and foreign journalists were imprisoned and their reports censored.[2]
After 1982 freedom of the press developed as an important byproduct of the democratization of Bolivian politics.[2]Siles Zuazo's government was perhaps the first to honor its pledge to respect freedom of expression.[2] Radio and newspapers were guaranteed freedoms that Bolivians had never enjoyed previously.[2]
In the early years of democratic rule, the monopoly enjoyed by Channel 7, the state-run television station, represented the greatest obstacle to freedom of the press.[2] Until 1984 Channel 7 was part of the patronage distributed to partisan supporters.[2] Although the Siles Zuazo administration respected freedom of the press in other media, it used the station to further its political agenda and barred the establishment of privately owned stations.[2] The Ministry of Information argued that television was a strategic industry that had to be kept under state control.[2] After several rounds with the opposition in Congress, the minister of information refused to issue permits for the opening of private television stations.[2]
Despite government restrictions, the media experienced a tremendous boom in the mid-1980s.[2] The growth and proliferation of party politics generated a concomitant expansion in the communications industry.[2] Newspapers, television, and radio stations mushroomed during the 1984-85 electoral season. Some forty-seven public and private television stations were in operation by 1989.[2] One of the great surprises was the presence of six channels in the city of Trinidad, Beni Department, which had a population of fewer than 50,000.[2] In short, democracy had magnified the importance of the media in Bolivian politics.[2]
In 1989 daily newspapers reflected the general pattern of ties between party politics and the media.[2] Five daily newspapers enjoyed national circulation: Presencia, Última Hora, Hoy, El Diario (La Paz), and El Mundo (Santa Cruz).[2] Of these, Presencia was the only publication that did not reflect partisan interests.[2] Founded in 1962 under Roman Catholic auspices, Presencia was the largest and most widely read newspaper, with a circulation of 90,000.[2] In large measure, Presencia reflected the opinions of socially conscious Roman Catholic clergy, who often used its pages to advocate reform.[2]
The oldest newspaper in Bolivia was El Diario, with a circulation of 45,000.[2] Founded in 1904, this daily belonged to the Carrasco family, one of the most prominent in La Paz.[2] Historically, El Diario reflected the very conservative philosophy of the founding family.[2] In 1971, during the populist fervor of the Torres period, its offices were taken over by workers and converted into a cooperative.[2] The Banzer government returned the newspaper to the Carrasco family.[2] Hence, El Diario was generally perceived as partisan to the views of Banzer and his ADN party.[2] The death of Jorge Carrasco, the paper's director, however, apparently changed the philosophy of the daily.[2] Jorge Escobari Cusicanqui, the new director, was linked to Condepa.[2]
El Mundo, with a circulation of 20,000, emerged as one of the most influential daily newspapers in Bolivia.[2] It was owned by Osvaldo Monasterios, a prominent Santa Cruz businessman.[2] This newspaper was commonly identified as the voice of the ADN.[2] A similar observation could be made about Última Hora, formerly an afternoon paper that had been circulating in the mornings since 1986.[2]Mario Mercado Vaca Guzmán, one of Bolivia's wealthiest entrepreneurs and a well-known ADN militant, owned Última Hora.[2] This newspaper had hired outstanding academics to write its editorials.[2]
Perhaps the most politicized of all newspapers in Bolivia was Hoy, owned by Carlos Reich Serrate, an eccentric politician who also owned Radio Méndez.[2] Serrate demonstrated how the media could be utilized to achieve electoral advantage.[2] Through Hoy, which had a circulation of 25,000, and Radio Méndez, Serrate made huge inroads into the rural areas of La Paz Department for the VR-9 de Abril, his political party.[2] The only other newspaper of significance in Bolivia was Los Tiempos, a Cochabamba daily with a circulation of 18,000.[2] In the 1970s, Los Tiempos had been the leading newspaper in the interior, but it was bypassed by El Mundo in the 1980s.[2]
Like the printed media, private television stations reflected the positions of the major political parties in Bolivia.[2] By the same token, the political line of the owners was often reflected in the news broadcasts of each channel.[2] This situation was particularly true in La Paz, where the city's eight channels, including Channel 7 and Channel 13 (the university station), were tied directly to political parties.[2]
Related Research Articles
Mass media in Venezuela comprise the mass and niche news and information communications infrastructure of Venezuela. Thus, the media of Venezuela consist of several different types of communications media: television, radio, newspapers, magazines, cinema, and Internet-based news outlets and websites. Venezuela also has a strong music industry and arts scene.
Hugo Banzer Suárez was a Bolivian politician and military officer who served as the 51st President of Bolivia. He held the Bolivian presidency twice: from 1971 to 1978 in a military dictatorship; and then again from 1997 to 2001, as constitutional president.
Jaime Paz Zamora is a former Bolivian politician who served as the 60th President of Bolivia from 1989 to 1993. He also served as the 32nd Vice President of Bolivia from October 1982 to December 1984 during the presidency of Hernán Siles Zuazo.
Nationalist Democratic Action is a right-wing political party in Bolivia led by Oscar Daza Márquez. ADN was founded on March 23, 1979 by the military dictator Hugo Banzer after he stepped down from power. As leader of the ADN, Banzer ran in the 1979, 1980, 1985, 1989, 1993, and 1997 presidential elections. He obtained third place in 1979 and 1980, and won a plurality of the 1985 vote, but, since he did not attain the 50% necessary for direct election, Congress selected the chief executive. Its choice was the second-place finisher, Víctor Paz Estenssoro.
The Revolutionary Left Movement – New Majority is a social democratic political party in Bolivia. It was a member of the Socialist International.
As of the early 2000s, Sudan had one of the most restrictive media environments in Africa. Sudan’s print media since independence generally have served one of the political parties or the government in power, although there occasionally were outspoken independent newspapers.
Últimas Noticias is a daily newspaper in Venezuela, currently British-owned and characterized by The Guardian as a "pro-Maduro tabloid".
Mass media in Colombia refers to Mass media available in Colombia consisting of several different types of communications media: television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based Web sites. Colombia also has a national music industry.
The mass media in Iceland are well-developed for a country of its size. The Constitution of Iceland guarantees absolute freedom of speech. Therefore, Iceland’s media are among the freest in the world.
The mass media in Peru includes a variety of different types of media, including television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based web sites. Much of the print-based media in Peru is over a century old, with some newspapers even dating back to the time of independence.
Algeria has more than 45 independent Arabic language and French language publications as well as 4 government-owned newspapers, but the government controls most printing presses and advertising. The Algerian newspapers with the largest circulations are Echourouk (1,800,000), Ennahar (1,600,000), El Khabar (1,000,000) and Quotidien d'Oran (700,000); all four are employee-owned. The government also owns all radio and television outlets, which provide pro-government programming. In 2004 and 2005, the government increased the access of Berber language and culture to both print and broadcast media.
Mass media in Ivory Coast is controlled by the government. Audiovisual communications are regulated by the Conseil national de la communication audiovisuelle (CNCA), an administrative arm of the national government.
The history of Bolivia since 1982 begins with the restorations of democracy after the rule of the military junta of 1982. Evo Morales held the presidency from 2006 to 2019. A new constitution was enacted in 2009. Bolivia's population has roughly doubled over this period, from 5 million in 1980 to 10 million as of 2012.
Municipal elections were held in Bolivia, on December 5, 1999, in all 311 municipalities across the country. The elections marked a milestone in the continuous deterioration of the political influence of the traditional parties. In 23 municipalities the mayors were elected through direct popular vote, in other municipalities the mayors were elected by the respective municipal council.
General elections were held in Bolivia on 7 May 1989. As no candidate for the presidency received over 50% of the vote, the National Congress was required to elect a President on 6 August. Although the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement had received the most votes, its candidate for President Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada was defeated by Jaime Paz Zamora of the Revolutionary Left Movement (MIR) in the Congressional vote, despite the MIR only finishing third in the public vote.
General elections were held in Bolivia on 1 July 1979. As no candidate in the presidential elections received a majority of the vote, the National Congress was required to elect a President. However, the Congress failed to elect a candidate after three ballots and instead selected Senate leader Wálter Guevara to serve as Interim President for a year on 8 August. Guevara was later overthrown by a military coup led by Alberto Natusch on 31 October. Fresh elections were held in June 1980.
General elections were held in Bolivia on 14 July 1985. As no candidate for the presidency received over 50% of the vote, the National Congress was required to elect a President on 4 August. Although Hugo Banzer of Nationalist Democratic Action (ADN) received the most public votes, Congress elected Víctor Paz Estenssoro of the Revolutionary Nationalist Movement (MNR).
Héctor Borda Leaño, is a Bolivian politician, anthropologist and poet. He was born into an intellectual family of landowner gentry from Sucre and joined the Falange Socialista Boliviana (FSB), a radical right wing party, as a teenager in the early 1940s. Eventually he was elected for this party to the national congress 1966-1969. In the early 1970s he broke out from the FSB together with Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz and Walter Vasquez Michel and turned left wing. After the military coup led by Hugo Banzer in 1971 Borda was forced into exile, first to Argentina and again in 1977 to Sweden. He returned to Bolivia in 1982 as elected senator for the newly formed Partido Socialista (PS-1).
Jorge Quiroga assumed office as the 62nd President of Bolivia on 7 August 2001, and his term ended on 6 August 2002. Having previously served as vice president, Quiroga assumed the presidency after the resignation for health reasons of President Hugo Banzer, and was tasked with fulfilling the final 364 days of Banzer's term.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
