Over the last two decades, military and authoritarian regimes in Latin America have receded as indigenous social movements and popular protests have demanded and won peaceful transitions to democratically-elected governments. Across the entire Southern hemisphere, democracy arose with a radical flourish, bringing dramatic changes in politics, education, civil society, and the media. Historically, revolution in Latin America has been depicted as civil war, violent conflict, and armed resistance, but recent social change has resulted from the political power of mass social movements reflected in elections and government policy change rather than guerrilla insurgencies.
The Pink Tide investigates the relationship between media access and democracy, arguing that citizen participation in broadcasting is a primary indicator of the changed social relations of power in each country. Democracy has meaning only to the extent that citizens participate in discussion and decisions. This book demonstrates that participation in public communication is a prime ingredient in democratic action and citizen self-organization, a vital means for constructing new cultural practices and social norms.

Lee Artz, a former machinist and steelworker, is Professor of Media Studies at Purdue University Northwest. He has published ten books (including Global Entertainment Media, Marxism and Communication Studies, and The Media Globe) and scores of chapters and journal articles on international media, cultural hegemony, and democratic communication. He is a founder and research fellow at Purdue Northwests Center for Global Studies.

1. Introduction: Public Media Access, Democracy, and Power, Lee Artz / 2. Venezuela: Freedom of Expression, Public Access, and Participatory Democracy, George Ciccariello-Maher and Ewa Sapiezynska / 3. Bolivia: Power and Information Pluralism in Bolivia , Pascal Lupien / 4. Ecuador: The Citizens Revolution and Popular Communication, Philip Kitzberger / 5. Uruguay: Hidden in plain sight: obstacles to media reform in Uruguay, Evan Light / 6. Argentina: The Role of Alternative Media in Latin Americas Pink Tide , Summer Harlow, and Stuart H. Davis / 7. Brazil: From Tide to Ripple to Tsunami: The Brazilian Leftover, Gilson Schwartz / 8. Latin America: Communication Sovereignty: Media and Cultural Policies of ALBA, UNASUR, and CELAC, Katherine Reilly / 9. Change Through Power: Media Reform as Participatory Democracy, Lee Artz / Index