Latin America’s media systems and their dynamics. The cases of Argentina and Uruguay

This article presents a model to study media systems, political communication, and communication policies comparatively and dynamically. Based on extensive empirical work, including systematic observations and more than 60 interviews, it explores the left-turn governments of Kirchnerism in Argentina (2003-2015) and the Frente Amplio in Uruguay (2005-2020) and their conflictive relationship with the media. Despite these tensions, in Argentina there were radical changes and in Uruguay there were not. This is explained because media systems strongly conditioned the political process.