Human Rights and
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08-28-2012

The Wave of Electoral Debates in Latin America

This activity is part of an agreement between the Konrad Adenauer Stifting's “Media and Democracy in Latin America” program, Proyecto Medioslatinos; the Center for Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL); and the Austral University's School of Communication; dedicated to keeping track of current events to analyze the professional relationship between journalists and politicians in the region. Peter-Alberto Behrens, Fernando J. Ruiz, and Hernán Alberro participated in the latest meeting of the Foro Catalinas which was centered on analyzing the “Wave of Electoral Debates in Latin America: A Mixed Picture of Democratic Progress”.

This activity is part of an agreement between the Konrad Adenauer Stifting's “Media and Democracy in Latin America” program, Proyecto Medioslatinos; the Center for Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL); and the Austral University's School of Communication; dedicated to keeping track of current events to analyze the professional relationship between journalists and politicians in the region.

The Forum evaluated the following topics: The quality of the debates does not depend on the sector that organizes them; The media often defines the rules of the debate; In some countries the wave of debates is becoming consolidated; An indicator that the wave of debates is becoming consolidated is demonstrated when the president debates with his/her challengers; In some countries the wave of debates has ended or never arrived, and others electoral debates take place on levels other than the presidential level.

Peter-Alberto Behrens is Program Director of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung's regional program “Media and Democracy in Latin America” based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He previously worked as a communication consultant for political institutions and the German parliament, Bundestag, and the EU Commission's representation in Germany, as well as in management positions in political and business consulting companies. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University Mainz in Germany.

Fernando Ruiz teaches the seminaries on Journalism and Democracy and History and Culture of Communication at the Austral University's School of Communication. He holds a doctorate in Public Communication from the University of Navarra and a B.A. in Political Science from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (UCA). He is author of three books: Las palabras son acciones: historia política y profesional del diario La Opinión de Jacobo Timerman, 1971-77 , Otra grieta en la pared: informe y testimonios de la nueva prensa cubana , and El señor de los mercados. Ambito Financiero, la City y el poder del periodismo económico.

Hernán Alberro is Program Director at the Center for Opening and Development of Latin America (CADAL). He holds a B.A. in Journalism (Universidad del Salvador) and a Master in Administration and Public Policy (Universidad de San Andrés). He produces the audio for Alerta a la Libertad de Prensa en América Latina from CADAL's Puente Democrático Project, is coeditor of the yearbook Desarrollo Global: Democracia, Mercado y Transparencia and previously drafted reports about Press Freedom and Economic Development.

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