The Bugle and the Penguins: Democracy and the Media in Argentina

The first chapter of this dissertation will develop an analytical framework by exploring some of the arguments surrounding the relationship between the media, the state and democracy, in particular the tension between government intervention and freedom of expression. Chapter 1 will also highlight where these challenges have particular resonance for Latin America, for example, how the role of the media as an independent watchdog is under threat by both commercial practices and state intervention. It will also analyse recent developments in this context in Venezuela. Chapter 2 narrows the geographical focus of the dissertation, and is divided into two parts. The first charts the shifting course of media regulation in Argentina over the last 40 years, up to and including the administration of Carlos Menem. This will place in an appropriate historical context the particular features in the interaction between the state and the media in the country, and help to explain the regulatory landscape in which LSCA was developed. The second analyses the deterioration in the relationship Cristina Fernández and her husband and predecessor, Néstor Kirchner (popularly known as ‘the penguins’ on account of being from southern Argentina) and Grupo Clarín by exploring the political battles which have led to an ‘undeclared war’ between the two adversaries (Interview 2010j), and seeks to provide an understanding of the political context of the regulatory reform. Chapter 3 concerns the LCSA itself, and by examining the key features of the law, it may be possible to show if the new legislation will create the new framework for a more democratic media in Argentina as its supporters hope to achieve, or whether the implications of this may lead to very different results. Using this analysis it will become clear if the legislation can or should be compared to developments in Venezuela.