Supporting local media is protecting democracy
ColombiaThe lack of local information weakens democracy, especially because spaces for accountability disappear, and corruption takes advantage of this.
A few days ago, I wrote an article about the slow investigation into the 2022 murder of a journalist in a small Colombian town. The victim, Mardonio Mejía, ran a community radio station and broadcast a daily program covering the main news from San Pedro, his hometown, and the surrounding area. Many of the 5,000 residents of the area listened to it regularly. While working with sources for the article, the testimony of one interviewee particularly caught my attention: just a week after the murder, when he made a field visit to San Pedro, he was struck by the silence that enveloped this town with its musical tradition. When he asked for an explanation, he was told that with Mardonio's death, the only local radio station had gone off the air.
A dose of reality: What happens in a community when the only means of communication that connected it with information and the public sphere is shut down?
The story of San Pedro is not unique; it is repeated in many parts of the world, because murder is not an exception among attacks against journalists and the media. But the meaning changes drastically when it occurs in a small town, because the media and journalists there are much closer to the population and become a key element in bringing public affairs closer to the citizens. That is why the breakdown of that relationship seriously affects democracy.
Local journalism allows residents of rural areas to stay informed about issues affecting their community. In some towns, for example, messages broadcast from community radio stations become the only way to learn about road conditions, public works projects, or health initiatives. They are the means by which residents of riverside towns can learn about flood warnings or landslides caused by natural phenomena, as well as about what is happening in other parts of the country.
Unfortunately, for many reasons, local journalism is currently experiencing a structural crisis. A study conducted by the Gabo Foundation on local news ecosystems in five Latin American countries (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru) revealed that more than 65% of territories lack local news, meaning that most communities live in contexts where journalism is restricted , has not achieved a stable presence, or faces precarious conditions for its practice.
Much is said about the difficult economic situation of the media, but very little about what it means to survive doing local journalism. Advertising is increasingly scarce, and on many occasions, it is used as a tool of control. This economic pressure, in turn, leads to self-censorship and also causes media outlets to disappear. “The absence of news is bad news.” This is according to the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), based on studies that demonstrate that the absence of local news fuels polarization, decreases voter turnout, and reduces government accountability.
In some communities, local media are used to mobilize residents to decide on development plans or to participate in hearings where complex and fundamental issues affecting their lives are discussed, such as prior consultations or permits for new businesses. This participation in shaping their future is an opportunity often facilitated by radio stations, where residents can hear different perspectives or even speak with public officials, learn about their actions, and demand transparency. In fact, the role of local communication can also be seen as a way to combat corruption.
When it comes to electoral matters, the issue becomes more serious. These media outlets help communities understand what's at stake in local elections and can even train them to participate in voting. However, they are also a space that ends up being overrun by illegal activity. In Colombia, with the resurgence of violence, illegal armed groups seek to exert much stronger control at the local level, and the management of information is key in this regard . To achieve this, they use intimidation and threats.
So, without local media, where do voters in rural areas get their news from? That's where academics increasingly agree that social media fills those information deserts, polarizing the political atmosphere of communities.
The lack of local information weakens democracy, especially because spaces for accountability disappear, and corruption thrives on this. Therefore, we are talking about a void that social media cannot fill. The option of getting information from social media and abandoning local news outlets introduces an avalanche of information where it is very difficult to distinguish the real from the false or insidious . Furthermore, it pits community agendas against the decisions of large platforms, compounded by the violence and economic vulnerability that politicians exploit to manipulate information.
It is undesirable under any circumstances that Bernardo Díaz Nosty's "hypothesis of degraded democracy" become a reality at the local level. According to this hypothesis, the press would prioritize commercialism to survive and generate profits, thereby degrading democracy. Perhaps the main antidote to this , as well as to disinformation and polarization, lies precisely in local media.
The question remains: how can we create the ideal conditions for practicing local journalism without restrictions and on a stable basis? I believe the solution lies in a collective effort to protect and strengthen it. Therefore, another question is: Who is willing to make that effort?
The Country, Spain