"This book makes an important contribution in bringing together a wide range of essays that address the relation between globalizing media industries and the state in contemporary Latin America. The contributors are very solid, very deeply knowledgeable about the countries they are addressing; this is an impressive assemblage of expertise from across the region."

—Daniel C. Hallin, Professor of Communication and Political Science, University of California, San Diego

The globalization of media industries that began during the 1980s and 1990s occurred at the same time as the establishment of or return to democratic forms of government in many Latin American countries. In this volume of specially commissioned essays, thirteen well-known media experts examine how the intersection of globalization and democratization has transformed media systems and policies throughout Latin America.

Following an extensive overview by editors Elizabeth Fox and Silvio Waisbord, the contributors investigate the interaction of local politics and global media in individual Latin American countries. Some of the issues they discuss include the privatization and liberalization of the media, the rise of media conglomerates, the impact of trade agreements on media industries, the role of the state, the mediazation of politics, the state of public television, and the role of domestic and global forces. The contributors address these topics with a variety of theoretical approaches, combining institutional, historical, economic, and legal perspectives.