From authoritarianism to privatization and social media: The evolution of Colombian TV

This chapter covers the evolution of Colombian television from its emergence as a medium at the service of a dictatorship to its privatization in the ’90s and subsequent digitalization. It shows how the historical transition of TV has affected journalism practices. After reviewing the cultural implications of Latin American media as a socially cohesive force that helped to shape the new nations, this chapter provides the historical context in which the Colombian TV industry was formed and describes the main features of Colombian journalism that have permeated TV news practices. The main takeaway of this chapter is that it shows the intertwined relationship between TV news and politics, TV news and economic elites, and TV news and technology. It ends up showing how the rapid digitalization of Colombian media and society has transformed TV news practices, leading journalism toward personalization and losing some control over the means of distribution, business models, and audiences’ engagement but mainlining strong support for the status quo.