Introduction

Disinformation, hate speech and political incorrectness must be thought of as problems that, although defined separately in analytical terms, work in fact in an articulated way. Together, they profoundly affect democratic public communication and constitute a problem for democracy. This book analyzes the strategies used by Latin American civil society organizations, states, and private companies in their effort to overcome the problems in public communication since 2015. The central questions it addresses are: Do these initiatives contribute to the promotion of democratic dialogue and, in doing so, that of a more democratic society? What forms do their contributions take? What are their limits and potential? What are their achievements and failures in fostering democratic communication and societies? This study draws on theoretical and normative approaches about democratic communication from studies in communication, sociology, and politics. The empirical analysis is based on two sources: 24 in-depth interviews with key participants of social movements and public institutions of Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina—and the analysis of documents and academic writings about the initiatives and the countries.