Abstract

SCHULIAQUER, IVÁN. Not so polarized. The Evo Morales’ Governements and the Media in Bolivia. Revista SAAP [online]. 2020, vol.14, n.2, pp.367-396. ISSN 1853-1970.  http://dx.doi.org/10.46468/rsaap.14.2.a5.

The relationship between the governments of Evo Morales and the media in Bolivia went from a public confrontation (2006-2009) to a friendly negotiation (2009-2016). This article historicizes this relationship through national media systems, political communication and communication policies.

What happened in Bolivia is distinct from other cases of the South American

«left turn» because the media were not the protagonists of political polarization, but one of its scenarios. That can be explained for three main reasons. First, the strong relative weight of the State and the centrality of the government. Second, the strategy of media owners who, given the stability of a government that was in the opposition to their editorial line, accepted game rules that were convenient for them. Third, the self-regulation of the journalists, who limits intervention on the content from other actors. At the end, the article offers a coda dedicated to what happened when Evo Morales was overthrown.

Keywords : Government; Media; Bolivia; Polarization; Journalism.

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