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Themass media in Peru includes a variety of different types ofmedia, including television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based web sites. Much of the print-based media inPeru is over a century old, with some newspapers even dating back to the time ofindependence.
Peru's media organizations control thepublic sphere, with wealthy families controlling much of the media and influencing decisions in the nation to serve their economic interests.[1][2][3] About 80% of the largest media companies in Peru are owned by relatives of the same family.[4] The mainstream media in Peru is typicallyeconomically andpolitically conservative.[5] Since the 2020s, previously reputable mainstream outlets began to spreadpseudoscience regarding theCOVID-19 pandemic and politicaldisinformation, resulting with increasedpolitical polarization.[2][5] Trusted media has turned towards independent media websites that have assumed theinvestigative journalism in the nation,[5] with the two leading investigative organizations beingIDL-Reporteros andOjoPúblico.[6]
Since the intense periods ofinternal conflict in Peru in the 1980s and 1990s, the government, military, and media in Peru described any individual who was left on thepolitical spectrum as being a threat to the nation, with many students, professors, union members, and peasants being jailed or killed for their political beliefs.[7] Reporters investigating the government ofAlberto Fujimori faced violence, with some being abducted and killed; from 1990 to 1996, at least eighteen journalists were assassinated, with most being from interior provinces.[8]
In response to PresidentMartin Vizcarra's actions todissolve Congress in 2019, the media in Peru began afearmongering campaign, arguing that left-wing political candidates would be elected in the2020 Peruvian parliamentary election and attempt to draft a new constitution.[9]
Into the 2020s, mainstream private media began to lose its reputation due to its use ofdisinformation, especially during the2021 Peruvian general election.[5] Outside of Lima, many media staff in rural areas were laid off during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Peru, while hundreds of other journalists died due toCOVID-19.[10] For the first round of elections, Peruvian media focused attacks againstcenter-left candidateVeronika Mendoza.[11] The media's attacks resulted with support moving from Mendoza toPedro Castillo, who was further left on the political spectrum.[12] In the second round of elections, Peru's major media networks were described as aligning withKeiko Fujimori to discredit Castillo.[13][14][11] Some news media allegedly disseminatedfake news against Castillo while also creating a positive image of Fujimori.[15][16][17][18][19] Despite media attacks against Castillo, he would win the presidency.[5] During thePeruvian protests following the2022 Peruvian political crisis, the media in Peru avoided coverage of demonstrations, with 60% of respondents of an Institute of Peruvian Studies poll saying that the media held a bias with protest coverage.[20]
Television is the most popular medium in Peru.[20] Among Peru'stelevision networks isLatina Televisión, which was the subject of considerable controversy and indirectly led to a case being decided by theInter-American Court of Human Rights. Latina covered several stories of corruption in the Fujimori government when it was owned byBaruch Ivcher. However, Baruch Ivcher was stripped of his Peruviancitizenship and forced to sell his shares of the channel below market value to pro-Fujimori businessmen. Ivcher took the case to court, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights eventually decided in his favor.
Another channel in Peru isCanal N, a 24-hour cable news channel that is a joint venture betweenEl Comercio andTelefónica. Other Peruvian networks includeAmérica Televisión, which was purchased byEl Comercio andLa República,Panamericana Televisión, which secretly sold its editorial line to Vladimiro Montesinos, andpublic broadcasting stationTV Perú.
Some VHF stations like Latina and TV PERU broadcast their on-air feeds via Internet. Starting in 2006 some TV stations have appeared like TELURICA and in 2007 Frecuencia Primera RTVN released CANAL 200, using the name as they were created in 1976. TELURICA produces their own Internet Only programmes but CANAL 200 shows just clips and some sample productions.
The oldestnewspaper inPeru isEl Peruano, which was founded bySimón Bolívar on October 22, 1825.El Peruano acts as the officialnewspaper of record, and all laws passed in Peru must be published in the daily. DespiteEl Peruano's official status, it does not have the largest circulation among Peruvian dailies.
Lima-basedEl Comercio, founded on May 7, 1839, is one of the most important Peruvian newspapers. It is also the oldest privately owned paper in the country. The Miró Quesada family controlsEl Comercio, which has aright-wing political stance.[3][21][22]
La República, founded on May 3, 1981, is another important newspaper. The newspaper overall has acentre-right political stance with smallsocialist opinions.[1]La República ardently opposed the government ofAlberto Fujimori, and continues to refer to him as the "ex-dictator."La República was founded and edited byGustavo Mohme Llona, who was formerly a member ofCongress. It is now edited by his son, Gustavo Mohme Seminario.
In addition to these three newspapers, there are several other newspapers, including, for example,Peru.21,Correo, andLa Razón, which is extremely pro-Fujimori. There are also several sensationalist tabloids that are considered to be part of the "chicha press", which often include vulgar content.[1] Such papers frequently feature women wearingbikinis or less and show pictures of dead bodies on their front pages. During the government of Fujimori,Vladimiro Montesinos secretly purchased the editorial lines of such tabloids throughbribery.
According to areadership survey done in Lima in December 2010, the five most widely read newspapers wereTrome (1,824.6 thousand readers),Ojo (526.0),El Comercio (467.6),Perú21 (293.4), andEl Popular (225.8)[23]
Since the existence of radio in Peru, it has been a popular source of information due to its ease of access.[1] Many radio stations exist throughout Peru, includingRadio Programas del Perú. The history of radio in Peru can be categorized into the first historical period of (1925-1936) when radio transformed from an elite medium to a mass media. The second period (1937-1956) began with the creation ofRadio Nacional del Perú with a regulation toward commercial radio broadcast on such topics as entertainment. The period is considered the golden age of radio in Peru. The third period (1956-1980) tried to reconcile radio industry with the newly established television industry. The fourth period (1980-2000) begins with the return of the media companies to their owners, the formation of new networks and corporations, and the development of popular radio.[24] Many Peruvians continued to utilize the radio for information in the 2020s, though news stories typically lack depth and details.[5]
Peruvian listeners prefer FM stations instead of MW and SW stations. Major cities such as Lima, Arequipa and Trujillo have their FM dial full. Since 1990, most of these stations have been acquired by large radio corporations in order to monopolize the dial. Only a very few independent stations survived this wave. As a consequence, the Peruvian government does not currently give licenses for new frequencies. This is one of the reasons that since late 1990s pirate radios and internet radio have appeared and are increasing. Internet-only media started in 1995 with some on-demand broadcasts in RealAudio done by Frecuencia Primera RTVN, Red Cientifica Peruana, Peru.Com and Radio Programas. Currently there are over 10 thousand online stations; some of them are Internet Only but some others are just live rebroadcast fm or mW stations. With some exceptions Internet Only stations die just a few weeks or months after they are created.[citation needed]
The use of the internet in Peru grew from about 36 percent in the early 2010 to 71 percent in 2021.[20] Reputable news reporting has moved from traditional media to digital outlets according toReporters Without Borders.[5] Organizations such asIDL-Reporteros andOjoPúblico have assumed the role of Peru's leaders ininvestigative journalism as mainstream media in the nation lost their reputation due to their use of disinformation.[5]
Caretas, founded in October 1950 byDoris Gibson and her sonEnrique Zileri, is one of Peru's most prestigiousnewsmagazines.
In the 1992Constitution of Peru, any action prohibiting the dissemination of the press is illegal and a criminal offense.[5] Attacks on journalists through judicial acts are frequent, however, especially by powerful and wealthy entities.[5][25]Defamation is a criminal offense in Peru and individuals often accuse journalists of this offense in censorship attempts.[25]
Into the 2010s, violence and death threats against press workers saw media freedom decline in Peru.[26]Freedom House described Peru as "partially free" in theirFreedom of the Press 2017 report.[27] Verbal attacks against press workers by politicians increased into the 2020s, withfar-right groups in Peru being documented attacking journalists by Reporters Without Borders.[5] Allegations ofself-censorship among mainstream media occurred during the 2021 elections, with theKnight Center for Specialized Journalism reporting on possible collaboration of the media with Keiko Fujimori's electoral campaign.[28]
In January 2022, Judge Jesús Vega found an author, his book's publisher and the director of the publisher guilty of defamation for their book investigating multimillionaireCésar Acuña, with the judge arguing that certain allegations lack sufficient sources and fining the entities $100,000, with the funds being awarded to Acuña.[25] According to journalists, this created a dangerous precedent for press freedom since Vega suggested that sources used by press workers must be approved by an authority figure.[25]
According to Reporters Without Borders, media pluralism in Peru is lacking and poses a threat to freedom of information in the nation, especially with a lack of government regulation.[21]El Comercio Group is the largest media conglomerate in Peru and one of the largest in South America, owning 80% of newspapers, receiving 65% of online readers and generating 57% of revenue among Peru's largest media organizations.[21][29][30][31] Like many media organizations in Peru, El Comercio is owned by a family, the Miro Quesada family, which also owns América Televisión.[3][21] The Miro Quesada family and its El Comercio Group has typically supportedright-wing political candidates, including PresidentAlan García andKeiko Fujimori.[3][22] Grupo República also owns multiple entities includingLa República and supports center-right politics.[1] For television channels, América Televisión, ATV and Latina receive 57% of the national audience viewership.[21] In radio communication, CRP, Panamericana de Radios, RPP Group and Universal Corporation control much of the market, with CRP and RPP owning more than the legal limit of 20% of frequencies in Lima according to Reporters Without Borders.[21]
The Fujimori campaign seized upon the Vizcatán massacre to reiterate the 'Castillo-as-extremist' narrative, pointing to alleged ties between Castillo and a Shining Path front group, MOVADEF, to suggest that Castillo bore some responsibility for the gruesome killings.