The Media
After a couple of decades when being a journalist in Guatemala was one of the most dangerous professions on the entire continent, things have cooled down somewhat. The nation's newspapers have expanded in both volume and coverage and, in theory, there is little restriction on their freedom, although pressures are still exerted by criminal gangs, the military and those in authority. Guatemala has a number of daily newspapers with extensive national coverage and a more limited international perspective. Best of the dailies are the forthright and outspoken El Periodico , which is often tricky to find, and the more widely distributed Siglo Veintiuno . The most popular paper is the Prensa Libre , a conservative, business-driven institution, though it does have a reasonable sports section. El Grafico is also to the right of centre and broadly supportive of the economic, military and big business elite. Look out for a good weekly paper called El Regional , published in both Spanish and Maya languages. As for the periodicals , La Cronica is usually a decent read, concentrating on Guatemalan current political affairs and business news with a smattering of foreign coverage. Not surprisingly for a country so dependent on tourism, there is a substantial English-language press in Guatemala. Both the publications listed below are available in hotels, bookstores and cafes, and are well worth picking up, both for their features and to keep up to date with the current security situation. The free monthly Revue magazine, published in Antigua, carries interesting articles about Guatemala and has expanded in recent years to cover Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. It doesn't seek to cover much political stuff but there's often some fascinating cultural or historical coverage, plus comprehensive accommodation, restaurant and shopping listings. Alternatively, the Guatemala Post (US$0.40) offers concise, independent coverage of the main Guatemalan news stories. For really reliable, in-depth reporting, the Central America Report excels, with proper journalistic investigation of controversial news stories like the plight of street children in Guatemala City. It's published by Inforpress Centroamericana and available from their offices at 7 Av 2-05, Zona 1, Guatemala City (tel & fax 232 9034, www.inforpressca.com ). As for foreign publications , Newsweek, Time and the Economist are all sold in the streets of Guatemala City, particularly on the south side of the main plaza. Some American newspapers are also available: check in the Camino Real Hotel bookstore in Guatemala City. Guatemala has an abundance of radio stations , though variety is not their strong point. Most transmit a turgid stream of Latin rock and cheesy merengue, which you're sure to hear plenty of on the buses. There is a host of religious stations, too, broadcasting an onslaught of rabid evangelical lectures, services, "miracles", and so on. If you're visiting Guatemala City, it's worth twiddling your FM dial - there can be some interesting stuff broadcast over the capital's airwaves at weekends. Television stations are also in plentiful supply. Viewers can choose from five local channels and over a dozen cable stations, all of them dominated by American programmes, either subtitled or dubbed into Spanish. Many upmarket hotels and some bars in tourist areas also have direct satellite links to US stations, which can be handy for catching up with the news on CNN.
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