Perspectives on Business and Economics, Vol. 39, 2021 62 Introduction Since its adoption in 1853, freedom of the press has been a right guaranteed by the Constitution of Argentina in two cases. Section 14 states, “all the inhabitants of the Nation are entitled to the following rights, in accordance with the laws that regulate their exercise, namely: to…publish their ideas through the press without previous censorship.” More generally, Section 32 states, “the Federal Congress shall not enact laws restricting the freedom of the press or establishing federal jurisdiction over it” (“Constitution…,” 1994). However, in certain instances throughout the country’s history, both of these sections have been ignored by individuals in power who might benefit from a national press that is not free. One of those individuals was dictator Jorge Rafael Videla. With the 1978 FIFA World Cup set to be hosted in Argentina and the country’s military junta busy silencing political dissidents, Videla needed to create a faux-positive image of the nation to offset the expected negative coverage from international media outlets. To achieve this, Videla viewed control of the press as a necessity. After Argentina moved on from Videla and his military regime, which lasted from 1976 to 1983, and began the transition to democracy, some remnants of the era managed to slip by unnoticed. Argentina’s historically diverse and outspoken media outlets slowly moved into the hands of a few, creating monopolies that had never previously existed. The combination of the pressures put upon various news organizations to censor certain information and the benefits given to these organizations by Videla helped create the space for media conglomerates to form and grow to the point they are at today. Presidents have since tried to reform the media industry, but policy disputes have inadvertently allowed media conglomerates to operate with even fewer restrictions. As these massive groups continue their growth, they make decisions based on gaining political or THE ORIGINS OF ARGENTINA’S CURRENT MEDIA LANDSCAPE Noah F. Jalango The unique relationship between Argentina’s political leaders and its media companies is rooted in one of the country’s darkest periods under a brutal dictatorship. A small number of media outlets gained distinct advantages during that time, which played a large role in their rapid growth, and Argentina now suffers from a high concentration of media ownership. This article explores the circumstances that created Argentina’s current media landscape and offers potential solutions to this issue.
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