31 Country Report: Information Network
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Information Network: Chile
Traditional Periodicals
The Santiago Times
Steve Anderson, a journalist, founded The Santiago Times in 1991. It is a completely independent Chilean newspaper that is written in English. It is based out of Santiago, Chile and Victoria, Canada. The goal of The Santiago Times is to make news, specifically current events regarding sports, human rights, and politics, accessible to everyone rather than just insiders. Anderson had ties to Chile, and he wanted to balance news between the two countries. The website is set up in the typical periodical style, with headings that include HOME, NATIONAL, CANADA, LATIN AMERICA, WORLD, SPORTS, LIFESTYLE, OPINION, BLOGS, and TRAVEL. I chose this site because of their emphasis on independence and organized set-up. It covers a wide variety of news that I feel really encapsulates the entire country. Obviously, because of its origins in Canada, there is certainly some skepticisms on accuracy, but with their journalists stationed all over the world and second headquarter in Santiago, I believe this to be a trustworthy source.
It can be accessed at https://santiagotimes.cl/ .
El Mercurio
The Santiago El Mercurio was founded in 1900 by Agustín Edwards Mac Clure. It certainly is more right-winged than other periodicals, and was even funded by the CIA in the 1970s to undermine the socialist agenda. El Mercurio is related to about a dozen other Chilean newspapers, meaning that this company runs a good majority of the news outlets in the country. The website is completely in Spanish and the news articles are arranged in a traditional newspaper style, meaning rather than the typical internet layout, they still try to mock the traditional paper style. I chose this site because I liked how 1.) it is written in Spanish, the native language of Chile and 2.) the amount of information provided, which ranges from sports to art to automotives and everything in between. A downfall to El Mercurio would be its right-wing bias.
It can be accessed at https://digital.elmercurio.com/2022/03/12/RVSB.
La Tercera
La Tercera is a newspaper founded in 1950 by the Picó Cañas family. It was originally associated with Chile’s Radical Party, but later shifted and is now proclaimed independent. It can be inferred that it is aimed at the middle class. Much like the latter two periodicals, La Tercera aims at spreading information regarding sports, politics, current events, etc. It’s website is divided by the most recent days of the week, followed by national news, and then international news. The entirety of the site and its publications are in Spanish.
It can be accessed at https://www.latercera.com/
Diario Financiero
Diario Financiero is a Chilean newspaper founded in 1988, originally run by former writers of El Mercurio. The Claro Group currently runs this periodical, and it is headquartered in Las Condes, Santiago. The main goal of Diario Financiero is to update the Chilean population about economic-related news stories and development, both domestic and international. It is written in Spanish, and its layout is very similar to that of all modern-day online periodicals. This source is consistently updated, almost daily. A downfall of Diario Financiero is its ties to El Mercurio, which was once a socialist-based newspaper, although they claim to be rather impartial today. However, a strength of Diario Financiero is its focus on the economy rather than all other news stories, so that Chileans can get more in-depth economic news than they typically would.
It can be accessed at https://www.df.cl/
Las Últimas Noticias
Las Últimas Noticias is a Chilean newspaper founded in 1902. Much like Diario Financiero, Las Últimas Noticias was also developed by a former writer for El Mercurio. It is headquartered in Santiago. Las Últimas Noticias was the first Chilean newspaper to go completely digital in 1994. However, unlike many other periodicals, Las Últimas Noticias considers itself more of a tabloid, focusing on keeping up with popular culture. However, they do cover other stories, and have recently had a great emphasis on police brutality. This source is updated daily. Their website includes links to their social media sites, as well as links to TED Talks The news stories appear to be written in a .doc format, and it is all in Spanish. A weakness of Las Últimas Noticias is the organization of the website, because in my opinion, it is rather difficult to navigate in comparison to some of the others. A strength of Las Últimas Noticias is its focus on pop culture, as that is more of a niche topic that many other periodicals do not always address.
It can be accessed at https://www.lun.com/
New Media
The Guardian Chile
While The Guardian is traditionally seen as a newspaper, I found it interesting that they also have their own blog based in Chile but written in English. It is updated once a week. Popular authors seen throughout the blog include John Bartlett and an author who goes by the name of Reuters. The Guardian is originally an English source, but is stationed globally. Many of their articles seem to be based on the political scene in Chile, but they include science and history as well. have of it is that it claims to be liberal but also independent at the same time, which is very interesting. This meaning that they are said to be an independent periodical, while striving to promote a liberal agenda.
This blog can be accessed at https://feedly.com/i/subscription/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.guardian.co.uk%2Fworld%2Fchile%2Frss.
Bear Shaped Sphere
Bear Shaped Sphere is a blog written by Eileen Smith. Eileen is from Brooklyn, New York, and is currently living in Santiago, Chile. Outside of her blog, her primary source of income comes from translating, and she clarifies that she only translates from Spanish to English, not English to Spanish. She also does a lot of writing. Bear Shaped Sphere is organized into different tabs that include Blog, Published Work, Memoir, Photography, About Me, Multimedia, FAQs, Coming Soon, and Find Me. This blog is written in English. It appears that Eileen tries to update this blog at least monthly with all different types of media covering the country. A weakness of this blog is that there are a lot of areas that say “coming” soon, which is simply a downfall due to that this indicates a lack of information at the current moment. A strength of this blog is that it shows Chile from a different perspective, and it could be especially helpful to an American looking to travel to Chile.
Eileen’s blog can be accessed at http://bearshapedsphere.com/blog/
Southern Cone Travel
Southern Cone Travel is a blog written by Wayne Bernhardson, an American from Oakland, California who has a passion for travel. He primarily visits what he calls “The Southern Cone” of South America, which consists of both Argentina and Chile. This blog started in 2007 and has continued into 2022. It seems to be updated pretty regularly, with at least two blog posts per month. Wayne covers all sorts of areas in his writings, ranging from current economic development to art to travel. A unique addition to Southern Cone Travel is the presence of a currency converter to help those traveling from the United States to Chile and Argentina. A weakness of this source is its organization. I certainly would not call it unorganized, but in comparison to other blogs, it seems to be a bit outdated in style. A strength of the blog is the diversity of topics it covers. I chose this blog primarily because most information I find out of Chile is based out of Santiago, but Southern Cone Travel is based out of more rural areas of the country.
Wayne’s blog can be accessed at http://southernconeguidebooks.blogspot.com/
Derechos Digitales
Derechos Digitales is a Latin American-based blog focused on human rights in Latin American countries. It was founded in 2005 with the goal of promoting human rights and development. They also focus a lot on digital equality. Even though they are located in Paraguay, they have a heavy focus on Chilean politics and current events. The website is written entirely in Spanish. Their website appears to be updated almost daily. It contains sections that translate to Who We Are, What We Do, Publications, Analysis, and Participate, as well as their main blog home page. A downside of this source for this specific study is that it is not just Chilean focused. A strength of it, however, is that it has its own niche category and really examines digital equity, which is something very unique but very relevant.
This blog can be accessed at https://www.derechosdigitales.org/
Social Media Sources
SImilar to most other countries, Facebook is the most used social media platform in Chile. Facebook was founded in 2004 in Cambridge, Massachusetts by Mark Zuckerberg. It is now available in, not all, but almost every country in the world. Facebook is organized in many ways, but the most popular is by “friending” other users, and then allowing them to view your posts and statuses. It is available in a plethora of languages, including Chilean Spanish. It is constantly being updated with users consistently posting their thoughts, photos, videos, or sharing various links. I chose Facebook because, as previously mentioned, it is the most widely used social media source. It is a firsthand view into civilian life in whatever country it may be. Some of the downfalls include the recent privacy breaches, but it nonetheless is a great way to connect with the rest of the world.
Facebook can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/
YouTube
YouTube is the largest video-sharing platform in the world. It is headquartered in San Bruno, California, and was founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. YouTube is owned by Google. In Chile, 18% of respondents claimed to use YouTube for at least an hour a day, while 17% said they use it for three to four hours a day. YouTube content is available in a plethora of languages, including Latin American Spanish used in Chile. It is constantly being updated with users uploading thousands of minutes of content everyday. A downfall of YouTube is that there can be vulgar and graphic videos uploaded, but a strength is that it is an easy way for people all over the world to communicate.
It can be accessed at youtube.com
Instagram was developed in 2010 by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. In 2012, it was bought by Facebook for $1 billion. On Instagram, users can share photos, short videos, and even upload temporary stories that delete after 24 hours. In 2019, Chile had approximately 7.3 million monthly users. Many languages are available on Instagram, including Latin American Spanish. I chose instagram because it is an easily accessible source and it is extremely popular. A weakness of Instagram is the mental health issues that have been reported with using the app, especially when it comes to self-esteem, due to extreme editing of photos to meet unrealistic standards. A strength of Instagram is its accessibility and how it helps people from all over the world to easily connect.
It can be accessed at instagram.com
WhatsApp was originally released in 2009 by Brian Acton and Jan Koum in California. In this app, users can call, text, send voice memos and photos, and video chat. Eventually, Facebook bought WhatsApp for approximately $19.3 billion in 2014. It is the primary source of communication in Latin America, and in Chile, approximately 68% of respondents reported using the application for at least an hour a day. I chose WhatsApp because of its prominence in Chile. A weakness of WhatsApp are all of the Facebook allegations that have been surfacing recently regarding privacy (or lack thereof), as it is a Facebook company. A strength, however, is its accessibility, as it can be used on any device so that people can easily communicate.
It can be accessed at https://web.whatsapp.com/
Data Sources
DataChile
DataChile is a comprehensive data set that demonstrates statistics drawn from over fifteen integrated data sources. It monitors key development factors from specific regions of Chile, including manufacturing, various products, exports, etc. It is written in English, and was founded in 2017 by DataWheel, specifically Cesar Hidalgo, Dave Landry, and Alex Simoes. Starting in April 2018, it became monitored by the government, making it a particularly trustworthy source. Each group of data is divided into its own webpage (ex. economy, food, etc.), keeping it rather organized despite the immense amount of data provided. I chose this source because it has a lot of information. With all of its sources and government supervision, it seems pretty trustworthy.
DataChile can be accessed at https://en.datachile.io/about/team
The World Bank WDI
The World Development Indicator was developed by The World Bank, an organization that consists of five different international organizations. The WDI has information regarding over 1,600 indicators for approximately 217 different countries and their economies. Chile is included on this list. For example, using the WDI, one can find information like population, Gini Index, average GDP per capita, etc. It is available in five different languages, two of which being English and Spanish. A weakness of this source is the minimal language options. Being developed by The World Bank, one would assume there would be more diversity in the language. However, a strength of this source is that it offers a plethora of information that is difficult to find anywhere else. I chose this source because it is very unique and has in-depth, specific information.
It can be accessed at https://databank.worldbank.org/reports.aspx?source=world-development-indicators
The National Statistics Institute of Chile
The National Statistics Institute of Chile was formed in 1843 by the Chilean government, and it is currently located in Santiago. It was created with the intent of performing a census of population and housing in the country, and now provides a lot of demographic and economic data of the country. It has physical headquarters, but most of the information can be found online. Their website features various statistics, maps, and work documents. There is also some economic information, as well as links for Chileans to use to find out more information about governmental procedures. The website is in Spanish. A downfall of the National Statistics Institute of Chile is that its physical building is located in Santiago, which means that unless you have a computer, which many people in Chile do not due to their large indigenous population, you will have a hard time getting to this information if you are in a rural area. A strength of the National Statistics Institute of Chile is that it hosts a great amount of information that is coming directly from the government and no one else, making it a rather trustworthy source.
It can be accessed at https://www.ine.cl/
Visual/Audio Based Source
24 Horas
24 Horas is a Chilean radio station based out of Santiago. They have their own website, but also live broadcasts that are available on the internet and Chilean TV. Their entire website and broadcast is in Spanish. It was created in the late 1960s with the goal of integrating all of the public into the social life, politics, and culture of the country. It is managed by the National Television of Chile, which is a popular television network. I chose this source because the fact it is in Spanish shows some degree of authenticity. It appears to be a rather popular television show in Chile. The livestream website I found may not be the most reliable, but there are ways to access streams on the 24 Horas website.
Live streams can be accessed at https://wwitv.com/tv_channels/7098.htm and their website can be accessed at https://wwitv.com/tv_channels/7098.htm
Chile Today
Chile Today is a podcast hosted by Bethany Francis. She is a writer and also makes a podcast with the company that is updated at least once a month, and has been going for a few years. Bethany covers topics ranging from current events to Chilean culture to her overall experience as a migrant living in Chile. Chile Today, as an overall source, claims themselves to be the only independent English news platform. Their target audience is students studying in Chile and international students. A weakness of this podcast is that not much information on Bethany Francis is available, so it is hard to assess her level of reliability. A strength, however, is that it is a great resource for students living abroad in Chile and covers a wide variety of topics.
It can be accessed at https://chiletoday.cl/the-chile-today-podcast/
Cafė con Nata
Cafė con Nata is a podcast by Natalia Vendebenito that takes place weekly, on Friday mornings. It is sponsored by Súbela Radio, a Chilean radio station that also provides news reports and podcasts and was founded in 2011. Cafė con Nata touches on all sorts of news, ranging from current events to governmental happenings to popular culture and everything in between. This podcast is in Spanish. A weakness of Cafė con Nata is that it is just one person, which could lead to some bias. A strength of Cafė con Nata is that it touches on a wide variety of concepts.
It can be accessed at https://www.ivoox.com/en/enpodcast-cafe-con-nata_sq_f1130285_10.html