Recent changes in the economic and political world scenario have been dominated by an increasing globalising process and a constant capital mobilisation. This process has left a significant mark on nation-based economies and cultural systems, giving a prominent role to the economic agencies and sectors involved in information and communication industries. The influence and side-effects of this new scenario for public policies in southern countries are just uncertain.The present volume provides the analytical and conceptual framework from which to explore the issue of political economy of communication. The chapters introduce the reader to the knowledge of the features, inner contradictions and the dialectics of regional alternative communication versus information control. By doing this, different questions are addressed: from the ideological perspectives implied in the ethnocentric reproduction of prevalent cultural paradigms (and the persistence of cultural inequalities), to central issues concerning the “digital revolution” and its impact on the political economy of communication and culture worldwide, with a special emphasis on Latin America.

Recent changes in the economic and political world scenario have been dominated by an increasing globalising process and a constant capital mobilisation. This process has left a significant mark on nation-based economies and cultural systems, giving a prominent role to the economic agencies and sectors involved in information and communication industries. The influence and side-effects of this new scenario for public policies in southern countries are just uncertain.The present volume provides the analytical and conceptual framework from which to explore the issue of political economy of communication. The chapters introduce the reader to the knowledge of the features, inner contradictions and the dialectics of regional alternative communication versus information control. By doing this, different questions are addressed: from the ideological perspectives implied in the ethnocentric reproduction of prevalent cultural paradigms (and the persistence of cultural inequalities), to central issues concerning the “digital revolution” and its impact on the political economy of communication and culture worldwide, with a special emphasis on Latin America.

La constitución de una política y reforma de los GTs, el despliegue de las representaciones regionales, la priorización del tema del "pensamiento crítico" en los congresos de Bogotá, Montevideo y Lima, la promoción de los seminarios regionales -destinados a aumentar el diálogo y la acción conjunta con las asociaciones nacionales de investigadores, cuyo número ha crecido mucho en el período-, los seminarios de Sao Paulo y La Paz, la nueva política de publicaciones, la reestructuración del portal de ALAIC, el sostenimiento de su revista papel y divulgación on line y la creación de una nueva publicación -el Journal of Latin American Communication Research-, así como la búsqueda de acciones coordinadas con otras asociaciones macroregionales de todo el mundo, han caracterizado esta gestión. Este libro es parte de ese esfuerzo. Para su concreción fueron invitados ex-coordinadores de GTs que estuvieron un largo período al frente de los grupos y otros actuales, así como algunos colegas a los que ellos dieron participación. Todos especialistas destacados en sus sub-áreas de conocimiento y con una experiencia acumulada de privilegio para poder reflejar la historia y la situación actual de cada uno de ellos.

Recent changes in the economic and political world scenario have been dominated by an increasing globalising process and a constant capital mobilisation. This process has left a significant mark on nation-based economies and cultural systems, giving a prominent role to the economic agencies and sectors involved in information and communication industries. The influence and side-effects of this new scenario for public policies in southern countries are just uncertain.The present volume provides the analytical and conceptual framework from which to explore the issue of political economy of communication. The chapters introduce the reader to the knowledge of the features, inner contradictions and the dialectics of regional alternative communication versus information control. By doing this, different questions are addressed: from the ideological perspectives implied in the ethnocentric reproduction of prevalent cultural paradigms (and the persistence of cultural inequalities), to central issues concerning the “digital revolution” and its impact on the political economy of communication and culture worldwide, with a special emphasis on Latin America.

Recent changes in the economic and political world scenario have been dominated by an increasing globalising process and a constant capital mobilisation. This process has left a significant mark on nation-based economies and cultural systems, giving a prominent role to the economic agencies and sectors involved in information and communication industries. The influence and side-effects of this new scenario for public policies in southern countries are just uncertain.The present volume provides the analytical and conceptual framework from which to explore the issue of political economy of communication. The chapters introduce the reader to the knowledge of the features, inner contradictions and the dialectics of regional alternative communication versus information control. By doing this, different questions are addressed: from the ideological perspectives implied in the ethnocentric reproduction of prevalent cultural paradigms (and the persistence of cultural inequalities), to central issues concerning the “digital revolution” and its impact on the political economy of communication and culture worldwide, with a special emphasis on Latin America.

La constitución de una política y reforma de los GTs, el despliegue de las representaciones regionales, la priorización del tema del "pensamiento crítico" en los congresos de Bogotá, Montevideo y Lima, la promoción de los seminarios regionales -destinados a aumentar el diálogo y la acción conjunta con las asociaciones nacionales de investigadores, cuyo número ha crecido mucho en el período-, los seminarios de Sao Paulo y La Paz, la nueva política de publicaciones, la reestructuración del portal de ALAIC, el sostenimiento de su revista papel y divulgación on line y la creación de una nueva publicación -el Journal of Latin American Communication Research-, así como la búsqueda de acciones coordinadas con otras asociaciones macroregionales de todo el mundo, han caracterizado esta gestión. Este libro es parte de ese esfuerzo. Para su concreción fueron invitados ex-coordinadores de GTs que estuvieron un largo período al frente de los grupos y otros actuales, así como algunos colegas a los que ellos dieron participación. Todos especialistas destacados en sus sub-áreas de conocimiento y con una experiencia acumulada de privilegio para poder reflejar la historia y la situación actual de cada uno de ellos.