This case study of leftist journalism in Latin America defines the characteristics,
in specific historical circumstances, of Alternativa, a magazine published
in Colombia from 1974 to 1980. The model was based on four objectives
? counter-informing; doing investigation, analysis and interpretation;
divulging the struggles of the people; and propitiating the unity of the left ?
with the ultimate goal of bringing revolutionary change to the country. The
Marxists background of its founders, which included Nobel Prize winner
Gabriel García Márquez, determined the magazine's content and an initially
independent and neutral approach toward the left parties, while reaching a
wide mass-circulation readership. Principled political differences led the
magazine to several crises that fostered its journalistic evolution, probing the
limits of press freedom in its struggle to survive against a reckless and corrupt
regime. The narrative reviews the history of the country as it was portrayed in
the publication, contrasting it with that of the establishment's media; it
highlights paramount issues such as human rights violations, corruption and
the role of the press, through the coverage of Colombia´s armed forces and
police; and it explores the magazine's complex relationship with the left,
which eventually led to its demise.