Hybrid Alternative Digital-Native Media in Latin America during the Pandemic (Two Peruvian cases of Entrepreneurial Journalism hosted from Spain)

Abstract

This article analyzes two digital-native journalistic shows created during the pandemic and hosted from Madrid by Peruvian journalists: La Encerrona [The Confinement] and Sálvese Quien Pueda [Every Man for Himself]. In a context of political instability (with four presidents within a year), social turmoil, a devastating public health crisis, and a highly polarized presidential election in the Bicentenario (the 200th anniversary of the independence of the country), these digital projects counterbalanced the poor performance of mainstream media, which was accused of partisanship and polarization, of firing critical journalists, and of promoting disinformation and disseminating “fake news.” Contrastingly, these entrepreneurial journalistic operations offered alternative contents, perspectives, and sustainability practices within a hybrid alternative media model of production that combines professional experience with editorial and financial independence and a DIY mentality. Through interviews with the creators/hosts of the shows and content analysis, this article examines how the context of national crises (in terms of public health, democracy, and information) demanded new voices to fill the gaps left by traditional media, while at the same time reconfiguring the relation with audiences in multiple platforms.