Economic pressures have impacted the only state-owned broadcaster in Chile and the two leading newspaper companies, in a market where private media dominate. A decline in revenues and a legal battle with Google were among the media industry’s challenges.

The economy has presented significant challenges for news producers in 2024. Chile has one public television station, TVN, which doesn’t receive permanent state funding and is mostly funded by advertising. Its status is a matter of industry debate – the president of its board this year appealed to Congress for it to be transformed into a wholly state-funded outlet. However, its competitors raised concerns at his argument that TVN’s only available alternatives were compromised by vested commercial interests. The stations in question, Mega, Canal 13, and CHV, defended themselves, emphasising their impartiality; audience trust figures do not indicate much of a difference between the public and private options.

Mega was the most-watched free-to-air television channel this year, the most-visited online news source, and the only major player to turn a profit. One of its key initiatives was launching two streaming channels: one providing 24-hour news coverage and another for weather information. These are available across multiple platforms, including YouTube and Mega’s own streaming service. Similarly, Canal 13 introduced the first 24/7 news channel accessible on free-to-air television. CNN Chile meanwhile launched a radio and podcast initiative that is available across platforms, including its own app and AM radio.

It was also a difficult year for newspapers. Chileans have proved reluctant to pay for online news subscriptions. The country’s two largest newspapers, La Tercera (owned by Copesa) and El Mercurio, faced criticism from the National Consumer Service (SERNAC) after complaints from subscribers about difficulties in cancelling their subscriptions. SERNAC urged both companies to ensure cancellation processes were as straightforward as signing up.

Chilean media remains largely dependent on advertising, but the share of revenues has been challenged by the growth of big tech. In an internal email to employees, the general manager of Copesa acknowledged that declining circulation and advertising had led to delays in payments to staff. Journalists, designers, and photographers staged a work stoppage. As a response to their economic woes, Copesa took legal action against Google, becoming the first Latin American media company to sue for allegedly abusing its near-monopoly power by controlling advertising and selecting news content in search results. Radio Cooperativa and the online newspaper El Mostrador later also brought their own actions against Google.

The Clinic, a magazine known for its satire, sharp humour, and politically charged editorial stance, has undergone a significant transformation since being acquired by businessman Jorge Ergas in 2020. In the past year, the publication, now wholly digital, introduced its new Executive Director, Pamela Castro, who is also Ergas’s wife. The magazine distanced itself from its traditionally irreverent and opinionated political tone in favour of a more general editorial style, while experimenting with new formats, including podcasts. Another publication with a prominent change was Diario Financiero, a business-focused newspaper, which launched a print and digital Saturday edition, Señal DF, a first in its 35-year history.

Since late 2023 and throughout 2024, investigative journalism has been crucial in Chile’s public agenda in exposing a bribery and influence-peddling scandal known as the ‘Audio Case’. It began when a private conversation, secretly recorded by one of the participants, was published by the outlet Ciper Chile. The recording revealed the planning of a bribe, leading to the arrest of a well-known lawyer. Police authorities seized his phone, and the WhatsApp conversations extracted from it unveiled a web of political favours involving various figures in the judicial, law enforcement, and political spheres. These revelations resulted in investigative reports highlighting WhatsApp as a source of journalistic and judicial evidence. This, in turn, sparked a broader debate on the boundaries between private and public information. According to this year’s data, WhatsApp is widely used in Chile, ranking as most popular communication platform (70% for any purpose, 26% for news).

Chile hosted UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day, focusing on the global environmental crisis, and this event saw the government emphasising its agenda against misinformation and its commitment to protecting journalists. It also highlighted Chile’s improvement in the 2024 Reporters Without Borders ranking, moving from 83rd to 52nd.

At the same time, the line between entertainment and news has become increasingly blurred. Morning shows, which blend current affairs with lifestyle topics, have been hiring journalists, mostly from news departments. Cable and streaming platforms have introduced talk shows discussing current events, featuring a mix of political figures, analysts, artists, comedians, and provocateurs.

Francisco J. Fernández
Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile

Enrique Núñez-Mussa
Michigan State University

Changing media

There is a continued decline in news consumption across all sources, and especially since the pandemic, with a minor impact on digital platforms and a significant drop in television consumption.

Overall trust (36%) remains low but has increased by 4pp this year. Many of the top-ranked brands are often associated with broadcast, traditionally the most trusted media for audiences. The radio station Bío-Bío, as well as the TV channel CNN Chile, for example, are both exclusively dedicated to news and are not affiliated with political, religious, or economic groups.