La voz de la academia: reflexiones sobre periodismo y comunicación

this article describes a vision of journalism in latin america as a job and a profession with an academic dimension, and its relation with the field of communication, since both fields have been together almost since they started to be taught at universities. statements by 35 researchers and journalism/communication teachers from 16 latin american countries show that latin american universities tend to think of mass media as the most prominent element in both the practice and the theory of journalism. this happens even though the market for journalism has expanded, and in spite of an evolution in the curricula of communication programs, which now include areas such as public relations and corporate communication. a clear differentiation was perceived between the two groups in the region: central american countries think of journalism as a job based on the development of technical and practical skills, south american countries think of it as a professional field.