Corporate media in Nicaragua and its counterparts

In Nicaragua, as in many other nations around the world, the onslaught of global capitalism has turned the main national media outlets into obstacles between society and information essential for social wellbeing. Relevant information, opinions and ideas, necessary to overcome the nation's most pressing social, cultural and economic problems, are seldom discussed at any length by Nicaragua's corporate media outlets. As is the case in many other parts of the world, this situation is caused mainly by the simple fact that the owners and sponsors who exercise almost exclusive control over the informative and cultural content of the main media outlets form part of powerful economic groups with aspirations that go against the wellbeing of society as a whole.

While on the one hand the entertainment or cultural content of the main TV channels, radio stations and the Press in the country is generally frivolous and usually produced in a foreign country, for the most part news and information programs are presented from a point of view which goes against the interests of most Nicaraguans.

It is true that the media outlets aligned with the FSLN progressive government provide an alternative source of information and, to a lesser extent, an alternative source of cultural content. It can be argued, however, that these media outlets, like their corporate counterparts, fail to contribute to a constructive debate about the main issues that concern the majority of the population. Among the list of pro government outlets are the semi FSLN owned Channel 4 and Nueva Radio Ya and the FSLN's weekly party political newspaper El 19.

Imported entertainment, imported values

The vast majority of the entertainment content broadcast on Nicaragua's TV channels (including Channel 4) is imported, along with certain sets of cultural norms and social stereotypes. Action films and other blockbusters are imported from the US while telenovelas and "reality TV" shows are imported from larger Latin American countries like Mexico and Brazil. Meanwhile, only a tiny number of the thousands of music programs broadcast on Nicaraguan radio are dedicated to the promotion of anything other than commercial, imported music.

In the case of films and TV programs, it is understandable that the vast majority are imported given that very few have ever been produced in Nicaragua. It is not so easy to accept the failure to promote non commercial Nicaraguan and Latin American music, however, given the long and healthy tradition of folk and testimonial music Nicaragua shares with the rest of Latin America, and the population's enthusiasm for those musical genres.

This overwhelming bombardment of imported commercial entertainment contents has led to a progressive process of cultural denaturalization and contributed to certain cultural and psychological trends within Nicaraguan society like the widespread installation of consumerist mentality, the normalization of street violence, the reinforcement of oppressive gender stereotypes and the cultural isolation of impoverished communities.

From Nota Roja to media terrorism

In terms of the presentation of news and information the nota roja (red note) style of reporting dominates many outlets' reporting. Nota roja (think red as in blood) style reporting is typified on TV news programs like Acción 10, 22 22, the daily tabloid Hoy and news updates on La Nueva Radio Ya. In this sort of reporting much time is dedicated to gory details (close ups of car crash victims' wounds, for example) and coverage of domestic or local confrontations between individuals or groups (who are, incidentally, almost exclusively from marginalized communities) while little if any importance is given to the social, political or other relevant context within which such events take place. This sort of voyeuristic reporting normalizes violence and encourages disrespect for the dignity of individuals and social groups from impoverished communities.

Among the news outlets that do not focus efforts around nota roja style reporting are the newspapers La Prensa, El Nuevo Diario and El 19, Channel 2's TV Noticias and Channel 4's Multinoticias. While on one side of the fence the two daily newspapers (El Nuevo Diario and La Prensa) and TV Noticias are aligned with the right wing opposition and present political and other information in such a way so as to undermine the government's every move, on the other El 19 and Multinoticias believe the government can do no wrong.

Independent writers and communication experts have written at length about how the corporate media in Latin America is used to undermine popular efforts for political and social change. The Nicaraguan corporate media has proved itself to be no exception demonstrating, since the FSLN government came to power in January 2007, that it has no qualms about engaging in systematic falsification of information.

This falsification process includes omission, manipulation, baseless claims and unfair insinuations. Successful government programs are not reported about. Facts, figures, images and statements are manipulated so as to shine a bad light on any and all government activity. Claims that cannot be backed up with documentation or factual evidence are presented as solid arguments. Questions about the transparency of official transactions are raised without any effort to clarify whether or not there is a valid answer.

This sort of anti reporting is designed prevent readers, viewers and listeners putting news items into a realistic context so as to ensure a lack of understanding about key issues. In this sense the opposition media practice a form of media terrorism, as defined in the Caracas Declaration (which came out of the First Latin American Encounter Against Media Terrorism in March 2008). In this declaration, signed by independent journalists and social communicators from across Latin America, media terrorism is described as "a form of permanent massive aggression" used by "information corporations" to "undermine people and governments that struggle for peace, justice and inclusion."

In self defense FSLN undermines its own media outlets

In response to the aggressive attitude of the opposition media the FSLN aligned news and information outlets have adopted a reporting style based on uncritical praise of the government. While these media outlets are important in that they provide a range and depth of information about government activities and policies not available anywhere else, the strictly uncritical nature of the reporting style means very few non FSLN supporters ever make use of them.

Seldom if ever will Multinoticias, La Nueva Radio Ya or El 19 include contributions which could be considered as constructive criticism of the government, although, vicious statements from fierce opponents are often incorporated as a justification for the use of similarly vicious statements against those opponents.

William Grigsby, director of the independent radio La Primerísima, spoke about this phenomenon in an interview with Tortilla con Sal in October. Grigsby believes that the FSLN have "made a big mistake. They have distorted the party's media outlets. It's true that there is an explanation for that: the government is being hounded, the right wing is hounding the government with all means available. And the government is simply defending itself. But sometimes I think that it defends itself in the wrong way. I think the way it is using its media is mistaken. The FSLN media have been turned into instruments of propaganda. They are no longer communication media as such."

FSLN should raise awareness to maintain majority

By putting off viewers, readers and listeners in households that have not traditionally supported the FSLN, the party is losing out on the opportunity to raise awareness about the real issues facing Nicaraguan society today. It is also not in a good position to counteract commonly held misguided beliefs about what the government can and cannot do in terms of providing solutions for the most pressing concerns of the Nicaraguan population.

It is one thing, from an academic point of view, to write about how the sort of economic and social policies that have been implemented by the FSLN government over the last two years are generally apt given the complex national social and economic situation. It is quite another for ordinary Nicaraguans, who have been culturally and intellectually undermined by neo liberalism in all its different forms, to unravel the web of misinformation and understand the limitations experienced by the government.

In the recent municipal elections the FSLN won an overall national majority, presumably due mainly to the successful social programs which have been implemented over the last two years. It may well be the case, however, that, for many non traditional FSLN voters who voted for the party in the November elections, a change substantial enough to ensure future commitment to the FSLN is yet to be felt. If the FSLN is to secure an unshakable overall majority going in to the 2011 presidential elections it is essential to raise awareness among the population about the mechanisms of imperialism and the current geo political situation in Latin America.

There are so many innovative and exciting ways this type of work could be carried out; Nicaraguan cultural inheritance provides endless opportunities for relevant messages to be communicated in a subtle and appealing way. Of course the profound changes to the national curriculum which will be brought in later this month represent one very important trench in this multifaceted struggle. In terms of media presence the FSLN may well need to rethink its approach. At present the corporate media is still setting the agenda.

ENDS

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