Internet impressions from Argentina

Information Outlook, Nov, 1998 by Jon Davis Tudor

In the August issue of Information Outlook, Chris Hardesty described his positive teaching experience in Russia on behalf of the Freedom Forum. I am happy to report that my adventures in Argentina under the same program were equally as successful and fun. One of the rewards of teaching in another country is that I can share my knowledge as well as learn from the students. Because of cultural, political, and economic differences, I was forced to consider my assumptions and preconceived notions. I was born and raised in a country that places a high value on information. I learned how to use a library at a young age, and have access to an incredible abundance of information on a daily basis. I have also lived in a democracy my entire life and never doubt that I have the right to look for information. But I couldn't assume that the intelligent professionals to whom I taught Internet research skills, in a lovely high-rise building in cosmopolitan Buenos Aires, had had the same life experiences.

Beginning in June of this year, journalists from the leading Argentine newspapers, smaller independent weeklies, special interest publications, Amnesty International, and Associated Press attended one of the fifteen or so classes I gave. I was delighted by their enthusiasm to learn how to use the Internet for research. The Internet is a new and powerful source of information for the reporters, and they have grasped its potential with alacrity.

Most of the journalists who attended my classes had proficiency with the Internet and used it at work and/or home. Argentina, along with Brazil and Chile, has a rapidly growing population of Internet users. With the deregulation of the telephone systems, access to the Internet is becoming more viable. However, it is still cost prohibitive for many. Not only does a monthly account with a local service provider cost approximately $40.00 a month, but users also have to pay a per minute charge to their local phone company. Tariffs imposed by the telecommunication companies are still high, and it is rare to find an Internet connection on every PC in the newsroom. During tours of the newsrooms of two leading newspapers, Clatin and Rio Negro, journalists pointed out that only one to three computers had Internet access.

During the classes, I asked the journalists if they needed information for a story they were writing so we could look for relevant information as a training exercise. One journalist was researching abortion in Argentina, yet national statistics were difficult to find because abortion is illegal. Another journalist was researching whether or not Argentina is involved in any drug trafficking. The journalist was suspicious of any information published by the Argentine government. Typical questions a reference librarian might ask, such as "Have you called the regional government office?" or "Who would gather these statistics?" were met with interesting answers. I had many frank discussions with the journalists about the role of information in their society. Argentina was ruled by military dictatorships for many years. Living in such a guarded society created an inherent distrust of the government. I heard answers like, "If the government did keep this information, they wouldn't share it," and "The government just distorts information for their own purposes." I was also told that with each new government, many agencies and departments "start new." Information that might have been archived is simply tossed. Regional governments have very little power and resources, and therefore are unlikely to publish any information. In addition, the generations of people who lived under the military dictatorships learn not to ask questions or to question the status quo.

Although these journalists may have access to public and academic libraries, their experiences with these institutions have not been positive. Either lack of support leaves many of the library collections wanting, or the journalists were never given assignments as students that required their use. Newspaper libraries are also in short supply in Argentina. Only one seemed to employ a trained librarian.

The Internet may change the concept of "information" in Argentina. Argentine newspapers are respected institutions, and all have WWW pages. Many of the journalists I spoke with said that the newspapers are providing articles and references to WWW sites as a means of raising Internet consciousness. In this quickly changing world, perhaps the Internet will not only break down global boundaries, but also the barriers of closely guarded information.

I urge to you to check out some Argentine newspapers' WWW sites. The best way to do so is from American Journalism Review's Newslink (http://www.newslink.org/saarg.html).

Jan Davis Tudor. Tudor is president, JT Research. She may be reached at jantudor@compuserve.com. For more information on International News or to contribute to the column, please contact International Relations Committee Chair Marydee Ojala (marydee@xmission.com).