The freedom of the press and its limits: press and political power in the State of Buenos Aires during the decade of 1850

Abstract

This paper analyzes the relationships between the press and political power in Buenos Aires during the 1850s. After the defeat of Juan Manuel de Rosas in 1852, the provincial public life started a process of renovation and growth. One of its features was the expansion of the press and its utilization by different political sectors in order to address, model and orient a growing and influential public opinion. Several authors connect this phenomenon with the existence of a large and almost complete freedom of press which had been promoted by a liberal leadership. This paper discusses this last characterization and analyzes the debates related to the need to limit that freedom and, particularly, the measures the successive governments took in order to control the press and the opposition voices through interdictions, fines, exiles, etc.