The Role of Traditional Media in Colombia’s Peacebuilding Process: A Critical Analysis of Immediate Post-Accord Newsletter Narratives
Santiago Rubio-Henao is a graduating senior at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Qatar, majoring in International Politics with a minor in Philosophy and a Certificate in Media and Politics. His academic and professional interests span diplomatic studies, migration and exile, education policy, and innovation. Additionally, Santiago maintains a strong passion for strategic communication, political marketing, and entertainment law. His research has specifically focused on the multifaceted roles traditional media outlets, particularly newspapers, play in shaping post-conflict societies across Latin America.
Traditional media plays multiple roles in peacebuilding. In post-conflict societies like Colombia, which are characterized by deep polarization and distrust, newspapers have both fostered reconciliation and perpetuated divisions. Following the signing of the peace agreement in September 2016, a substantial body of research emerged on the role of the media over time. However, a gap remains in understanding what occurred immediately after the accord was signed. This paper examines whether the coverage of El Espectador and La Silla Vacía, two of Colombia’s largest and most active news outlets, encouraged or hindered peace efforts, focusing on language, discourse, and content patterns. Given that media communication is a strategic choice, this study applies the hypodermic needle theory of mass communication to suggest that, since communication unfolds through a linear model with direct effects on its audience, El Espectador and La Silla Vacía played a decisive role in informing, shaping, and undermining peacebuilding.
Keywords: Colombian Peace Process, Traditional Media, Peacebuilding, Truth, Newsletters, Polarization, Information
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Amanda Garrett
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sagDcj_xz6xWhiXICEPTlIN6acGbjgZ7/view
https://sites.google.com/georgetown.edu/traditionalmediaincolombia?usp=sharing
