61 Country Report: Information Network

Traditional Periodical

• Prensa Libre (Spanish) – since 1951, this nationally distributed newspaper (published in Guatemalan City by Prensa Libre S.A.) has developed itself to the second-most circulated newspaper in Guatemala. They are classified as a “newspaper of record,” which means they have been authorized to publish printed notices, both legal and public. They also tend to have authoritative political stance. Their website is divided into the main sections of news for Guatemala, Cities, Sports, International, Economy, Life, and Opinion. There is also a section for What’s Popular, which is now centered around COVID-19 vaccines and the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

It is accessed at https://www.prensalibre.com, as well as Twitter at @prensa_libre. I chose this source due to its top ranking in distribution, as well as the specific political view that is incorporated into its culture. It provides a good variety of topics covered, especially the different views from global areas, Guatemala in general, and then the specific cities of Guatemala. However, because of its political view, some takes may be biased. I still plan on using its establishment and coverage to my advantage of knowledge though.

• Plaza Pública (Spanish) – this independent newspaper (published in Guatemalan City, funded by the University of Rafael Landíva) has developed its identity through a focus on human rights and social justice and its consistency, as it is published three times a week. They call themselves a “work in progress,” expressing pride in their content that has been historically lost and/or overlooked, as well as their commitment to being part of the Global Investigative Journalism Network. Their website is divided into the main sections of inequality, power and citizenship, consumer defense, tiktok, podcast, specials, opinion, trans media, investigation manual, and questions.

It is accessed at https://www.plazapublica.com.gt/content/quienes-somos, as well as Twitter at @PlazaPublicaGT. I chose this source due to its focus on societal issues and unique perspectives within its publishing. It represents a certain side of the spectrum very well, as well as seems to be more personal rather than official. However, due to its focus, it may lack giving its perspective on other non-expertise areas. Despite this, I thought it would be good to include since its committed topics play a relatively large role in modern times.

• El Metropolitano (Spanish) – this daily newspaper is so far the only newspaper published outside of Guatemalan City, stemming from the city Quetzaltanango. They seem to have their own niche, based around online media in the format of videos and economics/government. Their website is divided into the main sections of Video Gallery, Economy, Editorials, Taxes, National, Departments, Politics and Public Health.

It is accessed at https://elmetropolitano.com.gt/es/, as well as Twitter at @Elmetropolitan7. I chose this source for its unique coverage, especially with regards to Taxes and the separate departments of the government. This all seems to be incorporating a focus on providing supplemental videos to the subject matters they pursue. However, this presents a weakness – I wonder how they get readers of the paper versions to transition to the online version with the actual video media. Perhaps it serves as an engagement tactic, where I would say that translates into a positive differentiation.

• La Hora (Spanish) – this is another daily newspaper that is published every afternoon in Guatemalan City. However, what differentiates them from the other previous G.C. newspapers is their perspective and therefore presentation of news; this is the most well-known conservative newspaper in the area. They have built and held this reputation since 1920, at the fall of a dictator whose ideologies the founders opposed.  Their website is divided into the main sections of National, Opinion, International, Us, Economy, Proposals, and Migration.

It is accessed at https://lahora.gt, as well as Twitter at @lahoragt. I chose this source because of its long time historical basis and its conservative standpoint, as this was a side of the spectrum not covered yet in other traditional periodical sources. It has the same downsides as with all politically-affiliated sources, and that is the possibility of biases in the work they do in order to appeal to a specific audience. However, such a rich history has allowed it to develop into a reputable source with good coverage of the foundations of news. I liked its focus on migration as well, a prevalent topic in politics and especially Latin America.

New Media Text Based

• Univision Noticias (Spanish) – this online only news source (a news-focused based oon the sub division based off of the American-based Spanish Univision company/television channel) covers news from all around the strongly Hispanic/Latine populated areas of the United States and the Latin American region, including Guatemala. Univision itself is currently the most successful Spanish language network. Their website is, at the moment, divided into the sections of immigration, 24/7 News, Politics, United States, Coronavirus, Mexico, Latin America, and Health.

It is accessed at https://www.univision.com/noticias, as well as Twitter at @UniNoticias. I chose this source due to to its top ranking basis, as well as the broad scope of focus for the general news it provides. However, this broadness may not have the same depth for Guatemala-specific news, as there lacks a complete focus on the sole country. This may not be as much of an issue though, as the coverage of basic Hispanic/Latine topics may have overlapping intersectionalities with Guatemala events.

• Guatemala.com (Spanish) – this comprehensive website covers news, guides to navigating places within the country, as well as country contacts through a directory. They are sponsored by the Coca Cola company and two other unfamiliar companies called MAX and Claro. Their website is divided into the sections of Start, Present, Sports, Events, Tourism, Meals, Directory, Learn, Stories, and Companies, with its entire home page dedicated to different news articles which are posted on average once per day.

It is accessed at https://www.guatemala.com, as well as Twitter at @Guatemala_com. I chose this source for its wide incorporation of subjects through all of its sections. The main coverages seemed to be targeting foreigners (especially with a translation button), which is a benefit in itself as a niche. Its big-company support also speaks to its reputation and its value. However, this foreigner-targeting information definitely incorporates its own biases, as it seems to glorify Guatemala’s external reputation and not into the “nitty gritty” (for lack of a better term).

• Perspectiva (Spanish) – this is a not only a digital news source from Guatemala, but it also serves as an analysis resource. It focuses on information for business decision making within the country, averaging about one post per day. Their website is divided into the sections they call Present 360, Business, Entrepreneurship, Interview, Opinion, Life, and Tech.

It is accessed at https://www.perspectiva.gt, as well as Twitter at @PerspectivaGT. I chose this source due to its niche of business perspectives, which could provide a in-depth look into the economic aspects of the country – especially with its analysis supplements. In terms of the insight this focus provides, it excels at providing commentary in relation to concrete information. This niche may take away from other important news coverages, but it seems that the purpose it serves is foolproof and specific for those looking to research and make conclusions.

Social Media

• El Periódico Guatemala (Spanish) – this official Facebook page (based on the Guatemalan City “El Periódico” media company started by Jose Zamora in 1996) provides ASAP updates on Guatemalan news to over 1.1 million followers. Zamora and his company see themselves as aggressive, critical, and less complacent against abuses of public power, specifically focusing on exposing corruption and then dealing with the extreme dangers that come with such actions – a lot of violence. Their page consists, by their explanation, of 81% information as opposed to 19% publications.

It is accessed on Facebook at @elperiodico. I chose this source due to the focus on political corruption, therefore giving it a unique perspective and depth that other news sources may overlook or not cover as well. However, the dangers of this type of information has and will continue to receive backlash, so there is always a concern for producing and/or consuming such. This places the longevity of it into question, as well as the credibility in a sense that a lot of corruption situations may have “hazy” parts.

• Guatemala News (Spanish) – this official Facebook page of the GuatemalaNews media company provides personalized updates on general Guatemalan happenings, as well as professional articles and media links to 7k followers. They are described as an informative page with a focus on culture and healthy entertainment alongside “rescuing” strong values and love/respect for what they call “our beautiful Guatemala.” Although a smaller company, it seems to (does not come right out and say anything) have taken a strong left nationalist political stance since it was established in 2016.

It is accessed on Facebook at @guatemalanews.gt. I chose this source because of its smaller audience, yet personalized approach that is strongly underlined with its strong attention to values and emotion. This may incorporate biases in news presentation, yet its appeal for a more intimate and strong alignment of its audience prove it to be a considerable source if you are looking to delve into the ideals of their perspective.

• Amilcar Montejo (Spanish) – this verified Twitter page of journalist Mr. Montejo has been covering public road information and news in the municipality of Guatemala since 2011. His page has accumulated 790k followers, giving multiple updates a day. With his scope of coverage comes basic updates like closings, but also information regarding infrastructure events or public events that affect such infrastructure and the populations that use them.

His page is accessed on Twitter at @amilcarmontejo. I chose this source because of its different and unique content, something that is overlooked by the bigger headings of “economy” or “international” for example. I think his topic of interest has the possibility to be very telling to those who want to research anything impacted by road infrastructure or the logistics of transportation operations. However, the limits of general subjects do not help with information on much else, and he is restrained by his man power and lack of ability to cover other location happenings.

Data Sources

• Euromonitor International’s Passport (English) – this database website is based on Euromonitor International Ltd, a market research company that started in 1972 in London. It provides statistics and studies found and performed by its analysts on the economical aspects of countries, where Guatemala can be summarized to be the main focus. Their page is divided into the main sectors of researched performed, these being industries, economies, consumers, and channels.

It is accessed at https://www-portal-euromonitor-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/portal/magazine/homemain/?stateId=q9o4m0 (at least for me through the OSU Portal). I chose this source due to its reputation as being a legitimate database, as well as its focus on economics. However, that is all it can really provide, so statistics or studies done on other societal aspects cannot necessarily be provided. I still think it is worthwhile to include such a strong economical source though.

• Deguate.com (Spanish) – this all-encompassing website is described as a complete guide to Guatemala, containing information about news, business, history, geography, tourism, and more. It has six main sections on its website, Themes (30 subsections), News (7 subsections), Directory, ChatPin, SMS, and Services (10 business focused subsections) and updates with 4 posts a month on average. With regards to databases, for the 30 themes there are direct links to credible research articles that provide information and statistics on your selected them. For example, for the Theme Economy and Finance, there are 13,167 available articles to view for free. Each of them has the original published article with its information.

It is accessed at https://www.deguate.com. I chose this source due to its sheer breadth of coverage and how it serves as a secondary resource with a collection of gathered information, rather than a primary source doing its own collection. It reminds me of Wikipedia, but with a sole focus on Guatemala. This definitely has its uses and benefits, making it a strong resource in general, although I would say that a possible downside is that it is most likely that all themes are not treated as equally with provided information or statistics; those of more popular interest will get inflated while others that lack popularity will not receive as much or as credible research.

• The World Factbook (English) – this database/encyclopedia is based from the CIA of the United States. It provides overviews, recent raw and special data, and visualizations on 262 countries, including Guatemala. For Guatemala, the topics covered are Introduction, Geography, People and Society, Environment, Government, Economy, Energy, Communications, Transportation, Military and Security, and Transnational Issues.

It is accessed at https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guatemala/. I chose this source to incorporate its unique information and statistics provided (anything from continental shelf heights to age structure), as it goes very in depth and holds information other resources do not tend to hold because they focus on economic aspects. That is what I would say is its biggest strength and what gives it as much worth as it holds, even though it has 261 other countries to provide other information on. Besides this, this overviews may obviously have an Americanized point-of-view, which can provide some implications in terms of the perspective of privilege.

Visual/Audio Sources

• Medios.gt (Spanish) – this website provides the largest platform of radio stations within Guatemala, containing live broadcasting for the 17 different presented genres. These genres are mostly different types of music, but also contain general news, sports news, and community-focused news. Their page is divided into a specific search, the genres, and the different regions.

It is accessed at https://www.medios.gt. I chose this source as a full representation, since it has all the radio stations nationwide. I thought radio would be crucial to include for Guatemala, as it is the method most receive their information and entertainment. Perhaps since there are so many options for genres and regions, it may be hard to narrow down what one is looking for and it may be easier to encounter more misinformation, but it is still worthwhile to have such a source for simply the vast coverage.

• GuateVision (Spanish) – this source is a direct link to Channel 3 of Guatemala’s general programming, where GuateVision (the news company of such channel) provides news about national, department, international, sport, and BBC world happenings. They also provide programming of Spectaculars, covering entertainment, science, viral events, culture, cooking, and health & beauty, alongside the live streaming of the channel. They are based in Guatemala City.

It is accessed at https://www.guatevision.com. I chose this source because of its easy access to the live channel 24/7, as well as the coverage of important aspects of Guatemalan life. The website has its supplemental articles, but the channel itself is the main audio/visual focal point for media consumption. I would say that this accessibility is a strong benefit of the resource, as well as its intimate feel through GTV Play (a game program for the public) and a function for alerts. However, with a live channel comes the downside of media consumers not being able to exactly choose what they get to view or listen to; it is given to them.

• Canal 9i (Spanish) – this source broadcasts specifically from Gualan, Zacapeca, Guatemala. Its information focus as a channel is the land and sites (cultural, historical, etc.) of Guatemala, providing overviews of the past and current events surrounding each location covered.

It is accessed at https://canalesdeguatemala.blogspot.com/2009/05/canal-9i.html?_ga=2.147276343.1864921732.1650238883-62755983.1645408823, from what I found. I chose this source because of its certain focus on the territory and environment of the country, as it includes information relevant to those natives who are traveling or foreigners who are looking for coverage of the country to help with their goals of exploration. I am assuming that news is automatically attached to coverage in most instances, due to the fact that if an event were to happen in a place of the channel’s interest, it would be covered along with that event’s effects (say a cultural parade for a historical city for example). Although it may provide good information for its niche, I would say that its lack in scope harms it and makes it purely situational use.

Additional Sources

• Rafael Landívar University (Spanish) – this university is the oldest private higher-educational institution in the nation, founded in 1961 in Guatemalan City. Its website provides news on events that impact or have been made possible by its direct student/faculty, as well as news that impact the general education industry within the country. Their page is divided into the typically-seen sections of university websites like admissions and post-graduate resources, yet it has its own news section as touched on a second earlier that is what I am mainly referring to for an information source.

It is accessed at https://principal.url.edu.gt. I chose this source to gain the scope of an education institution because of their impact on direct society as well as the global society. It may not necessarily be what most may think of as an information source as compared to one relating to media or communications – I think that is what makes it a good one. However as stated, it does have a narrow focus on education, although perhaps the deeper one looks, it may prove to be a resource that links you to other legitimate resources.

• Loyola Escuela Empresarial para las Américas (Spanish) – this university is a public institution in Guatemala, founded in 2000. This university had a past joint-initiative with la Universidad de Valparaíso in Chile, where it has since been one of the two branches (called Loyola Guatemala). The other one is in El Salvador. Its website is divided into the cover page, the First Plan, Loyola, Schools of Loyola, Loyola Guatemala, and Loyola El Salvador. The website has a historical overview, but also provides relevant information regarding the industries of the degrees offered (mainly business), as well as current events affecting both the domestic country and its other global branch.

It is accessed at http://www.loyolacentroamerica.org/escuelasdeloyola/escueladegraduados.html. I chose this source because of its uniqueness in structure, not just because of its public label (as Guatemala has more private universities). With regards to structure, the fact that is has branches in not only Guatemala but another Latin American country provides extra support for an in-depth global view of the different information regarding educational industries, populations, and international relations. Its business collaboration with the university in Chile also provides such, giving a unique and more holistic perspective. This may prove interesting alongside its business-education focus, but perhaps a downside might be that information is convoluted due to all of these intersectionalities and decentralization.

• Universidad Galileo (Spanish) – established in 2000 as well, this private university in Guatemala City originally had a focus on computer engineering, information technology, and systems engineering. Since then it has evolved, but has retained a focus on science and technology education specialities. Its website is divided into the main sections of About, Academics, Careers, Admissions, and Scientific Research. Each of these provide their own information, catering towards students, professionals, and scientific/technological people.

It is accessed at https://www.galileo.edu. I chose this source because of its modern focus on science and technology, although it has seven total schools of study. This alignment with modern topics and providing of resources and information relating to these topics is surely a considerable contribution, although its reputation with other areas of study or information probably does not get as much coverage.