Technological development of online media in Latin America. The case studies of emol.com, clarin.com, prensalibre.com. and jornada.unam.mx

Abstract

The development of the information society, globalisation and technology has generated a process of adaptation in news companies. The technological evolution has produced notable changes in the production, distribution and reception of information. Not all media companies and countries have faced this reality in the same way. Many have been conditioned by the economic and political issues that determine this process. In the case of Latin America, there are differences that respond to the development level of the different countries and regions, and this highlights the existence of a digital divide. Based on four case studies, this article addresses the technological evolution experienced by four online news media companies from different Latin American countries: jornada.unam.mx (from Mexico), prensalibre.com (from Guatemala), emol.com (from Chile) and clarin.com (from Argentina). The objective of the study is to measure the impact of technology in journalism throughout Latin America in order to detect the structural differences. The study is based on the answers of the directors of the aforementioned online news media companies to a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory interview. The interviews took place between March and June 2011. The analysis of the results shows that there has been a remarkable progress and adaptation to the needs of the Latin American Society in recent years, but that there are also differences in terms of development levels according to the economic situation of the different countries, which conditions these companies’ forecasts for their technological investment and innovation in the near future.