Media Conglomeration in Colombia



What are the main impacts of media conglomeration?

To name a few: lack of competition thus poorer quality outcome, mass produced media which means that the news look the same everywhere which is unproductive for every place has a distinct demographic which means different needs. News becomes sensationalistic for that is the news that draws viewers but fails to inform thus not coming through with their goal of providing a public service to the masses.

     Colombia's primary conglomerate is the Santo Domingo Group, a conglomerate owned by the second wealthiest man in Colombia, an oligarchy coming from decades of wealthy men. Julio Santo Domingo inherited the company and the following are his most lucrative companies:

• Caracol TV (Colombian television channel)
• Caracol TV International
• Caracol Radio (sold to PRISA in 2001)
• Cromos (magazine)
• El Espectador (newspaper)
• SABMiller (15% stake
• Avianca (sold in 2004 to German Efromovich)

I’ve watched many programs that have been issued by Caracol and they’re very typical of Latin America focusing on scandals and flashy stories. Many of the novelas address and even glamorize the drug lords lifestyle- decadence in every aspect: in their prostitutes, in their mansions, in their vehicles and clothing.

A drug lord and his prostitute as interpreted by the novela "Sin senos no hay paraiso"

This image is from a famous and very controversial novela based on the book: "Sin tetas no hay paraiso" by Gustavo Bolivar Moreno. The translation of the title is: "Without breasts there is no paradise". The book, as well as the show, reveal that cosmetic surgery is desirable by women in order for them to feel more desired, appealing, beautiful hence worthy of landing themselves a wealthy man to take care of them. Drug lords usually have a harem of women they look after to be entertained by at their disposal and this trade is unfortunately more and more popular in poverty-stricken areas where becoming a female companion to a drug lord is the most feasable option for these women.

The trend lately has been to portray this dangerous but alluring life stlye in recent shows and seeing as how news of the guerrilla's are an everyday occurrence, companies like Santo Domingo Group are profiting from it. This has even made way into Mexico and the United States where this very show had extreme popularity going as far as importing the actors from Colombia to the states for events, etc.

Although Mexico suffers from massive drug cartels infiltrating provinces and wreaking havoc on rural peasants, the United States does not see such a dramatic level of Drug culture. It is much less hostile here in terms of cartels and drug lords. This goes back to the conglomerations creating a perspective that is not necessarily the same everywhere.