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The Impact of Digital Technology on Journalism and Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean

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The Impact of Digital Technology on Journalism and Democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL at the University of Texas-Austin / Open Society TECHNOLOGY ON Foundations Media Program JOURNALISM AND Austin, Texas, DEMOCRACY IN Sept. 10-12, 2009 LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN By Guillermo Franco THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON JOURNALISM AND DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN Table of contents INTRODUCTION JOURNALISTS IN THE DIGITAL TRANSITION .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................5 THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON JOURNALISM AND DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA. A REFLECTION WITHIN THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF SOCIAL NETWORKS .............6 SUMMARY ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................10 CHAPTER 1 THE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICAN AND THE CARIBBEAN. WHAT HAS CHANGED UP TO NOW AND WHAT HANGES ARE COMING? ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................13 — The InTERNET AND SOCIAL MOBILIZATION — The oTHER DIGITAL DIVIDE AND THE ROLE OF THE STATE • ANALYSIS THE INTERNET: MUCH MORE THAN A POTENTIAL MARKET ............................................................................................................................................................................................19 CHAPTER 2 THE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES ON JOURNALISM IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN. WHAT HAS CHANGED UP TO NOW AND WHAT TRANSFORMATIONS ARE COMING? ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................22 — DIGITAL TRAINING — The DIGITAL THREAT • ANALYSIS — ANTICIPATING THE QUESTIONS THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION WILL BRING ..................................................................................................26 — DevelOPING NEW JOURNALISM SKILLS: THE KEY TO SURVIVAL IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................29 SHARING DIGITAL JOURNALISM TEACHING RESOURCES: AN AUSTIN FORUM PROPOSAL ..............................33 « 1 » THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON JOURNALISM AND DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN CHAPER 3 THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AND THE NEW WAVE OF INTERNET-BASED INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IN THE AMERICAS .....................................35 — The DEPENDENCE OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA — MODELS FOR FINANCING INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM OtHER ELEMENTS FOR CREATING SUSTAINABLE MODELS OF INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................39 INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AND TV ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................42 INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM AND NETWORKS ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................43 A BUSINESS MODEL FOR AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM SITE: AN AUSTIN FORUM PROPOSAL .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................44 CHAPTER 4 ONLINE MEDIA: HOW ARE THE OLD AND NEW MODELS WORKING ON THE INTERNET? HAVE WE EXPERIMENTED ENOUGH? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................48 HOW JOURNALISTS FROM LATIN AMERICA ARE USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE NEW MEDIA/ SIX STORIES — LA SILLA VACÍA ...........................................................................51 — ALTERPRESSE ..................................................................................52 — SOLOLOCAL .............................................................................................53 — VERDAD ABIERTA ............................................................ 54 — EL FARO ...................................................................................................................55 — EL BÚHO .................................................................................................................56 — StART-UP CAPITAL: IMAGINATION AND PERSEVERANCE .......................................................................................................................................................................................................57 — YOUTH.COM? ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................59 « 2 » THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON JOURNALISM AND DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN CHAPTER 5 GIVING A VOICE TO CITIZENS: ARE BLOGS, SOCIAL NETWORKS AND CITIZEN MEDIA MAKING A DIFFERENCE? ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................62 USER COMMENTS: THE GOLD AMIDST THE GARBAGE ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................65 QUESTIONS BEHIND The “Problem” of USER COMMENTS ON WEBSITES. REFERENCES FROM U.S. SOURCES THAT COULD SHED LIGHT ON THE SITUATION IN LATIN AMERICA ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................67 CELL PHONES: THE POWER OF TEXTING ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................74 ENTERING THE MOBILE PLATFORM WITH CONTENT FROM NEW WEBSITES: A PROPOSAL FROM THE AUSTIN FORUM .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................75 CHAPTER 6 THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF VIDEO: ARE WE READY FOR THE GROWTH OF VIDEO AUDIENCES ON THE WEB AND WITH MOBILE PHONES? ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................78 THE OtHER SIDE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY: HOW GOVERNMENTS
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