How has mass communication evolved in Latin America? How has the political climate in that region shaped the role of the mass media? What factors unite these many diverse countries? What are the special challenges facing this turbulent area?
In Communication in Latin America: Journalism, Mass Media, and Society, editor Richard R. Cole has assembled a selection of articles that explore these issues. The book focuses on journalism, given the traditional strength of the press in Latin America. The twelve comprehensive essays-written exclusively for this publication-examine either an aspect of the mass media in the region or the media in a particular country during a number of stages of its political development.
Divided into two parts, the book begins with a thorough overview of the state of mass communication in the entire region. Articles in the first section focus on broad issues such as the changing role of women in the media; the value of professional organizations, including colegios, in journalism; and the usefulness of propaganda in effecting political change. Essays in the second section explore situations in individual countries, including freedom of the press in Mexico and Chile, and the Argentine media's struggle to define its role under the new democratic government. Cole concludes the book with his forecast of the future of mass communication in Latin America.
Communication in Latin America: Journalism, Mass Media, and Society is a valuable tool for students of international communication and an excellent supplement for classes in Latin American studies, anthropology, and political science.

Chapter 1 Preface Chapter 2 Some Milestones in Latin American Media History Part 3 I Status of and Issues in Latin American Mass Communication Chapter 4 Current Status of the Mass Media in Latin America Chapter 5 The Role of Women in Latin American Mass Media Chapter 6 Professional News Organizations in Latin America Chapter 7 An Unusual Approach in the United States to Latin American Journalism Education Chapter 8 Effects of International Propaganda on U.S.-Cuban Relations Chapter 9 Should Journalists Be Required to Belong to Colegios and Have University Degrees? Part 10 II Case Studies of Mass Communication in Selected Latin American Countries Chapter 11 Mexico's Struggle for a Free Press Chapter 12 The Dark Side of Cuban Journalism: Press Freedom and Corruption before Castro Chapter 13 Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Press Freedom in Chile Chapter 14 The Media in Argentina: Struggling with the Absence of a Democratic Tradition Chapter 15 Controversies over Mass Communication and Professional Education in the Andean Countries Chapter 16 The Electronic Media in Brazil Chapter 17 Conclusions: Toward the New Millennium Chapter 18 Suggested Readings Chapter 19 Suggested Films