Communication policies: changes and resistances

Abstract

The case of Uruguay can be analyzed as a small laboratory where the dynamics of power and resistance around communication policies is at stake. The left-wing government, which began in 2005, included in its program a proposition to democratize communication. What occurred in a little more than one year shows an interesting progress and also major difficulties in its implementation, due to external pressures and – perhaps even more – internal weaknesses. However, at the same time, many social actors have started a much more important action than at other moments, realizing that new doors are being opened. This “bottom-up” action may help the government to advance in its own program. On the other hand, the scenarios of regional integration and of digital convergence turn the decisions to be made more complex, causing some decisions to even have effects that stand in opposition to what is expected from them.

Key words: policies, communication, change, resistance.