Reporting in Turbulent Times: How Journalists Navigate Democratic Backsliding and Media Distrust in Peru’s Protests (2022-2023)

• In Event: 40862 - Section on Human Rights Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Human Rights Roundtable 1

Abstract

Social movement studies have traditionally investigated the role of the press in protests, often presuming a media landscape grounded in Northern democracies. However, in hybrid regimes of the Global South, where democratic backsliding and media distrust influence contentious politics, the relationship between media and protest remains underexamined. This paper examines how independent and local journalists in Peru, operating outside media conglomerates aligned with national elites, report on protests characterized by state repression against marginalized populations. Focusing on the recent mobilization cycle (2022–2023) that demanded President Dina Boluarte’s resignation, early elections, and a new constitution, this study analyzes the case of Puno, a region disproportionately impacted by police violence. Employing a case study approach, it incorporates 30 interviews with local journalists and observations of their labor during post-cycle protest events, particularly the commemoration of victims of state violence. Findings indicate that independent journalists are instrumental in documenting grassroots political claims and countering official narratives that justify repression. To navigate a hostile media environment and build trust with activists—many of whom harbor skepticism toward mainstream media—journalists learn and adopt strategic practices such as expressing empathy for protesters demands, showing their affiliations with local or independent outlets (and hiding collaborations with mainstream outlets), and utilizing livestream digital media. These dynamics challenge the assumption that movement leaders inherently seek media visibility, instead illuminating the reasons why such visibility can be perilous under conditions of democratic backsliding, state surveillance and human rights violations. This research enhances the understanding of journalism's function within fragile democratic but still repressive contexts, underscoring the media's role in shaping and contesting narratives of protest and repression.

Author

• Tania Ramirez Farias, University of Pittsburgh