Media between public and private sector: towards a definition of “community media”
Constitutional reforms in Ecuador and Bolivia and the subsequent laws on communications
have opened up the media space to new social and political actors: public and
community media. While the former tend to be associated with the state in form and with
governments in substance, the latter are not clearly defined and occupy a place in the
midst of the hegemonic struggle between the public and private sectors to enable citizens
to actively intervene in the competition for shaping public opinion. It is therefore necessary
to lay the groundwork for a definition of “community media” that includes both its
legal and sociopolitical dimensions. Indeed, operationalizing such a definition might allow
community media to recognize themselves in it and to take the measures required to fully
project themselves as subjects of the law.