Is there anything that could be considered as a Latin American Thought in Communication?

Yes, and this paper explains it.

THE FOUNDERS

• In 1964 Paulo Freire (Brazil) published his Pedagogy of the Oppressed and in 1967The Practice of freedom, which was the starting point of this thought. Both books questioned the main stream education system and its methods of teaching. He deviled the “bank deposit education” pedagogy.
• In 1962 Mario Kaplun (Argentina) produced Uncensored in 1969. Father Vicente: A diary of a neighborhood priest. And in 1971 Jury No. 13. All these radio series joined Freire’s concepts on liberation and alternative vision to mainstream pedagogy and communication.
• In 1960 Antonio Pascuali (Venezuela) published Communication and Mass Culture, in 1973 Sociology of Communication, and in 1974 Understanding Communication. All three books are the basic theory of Latin American communication, analyzing the regional understanding of the concept, opposing Schiller.
• In 1971 Luis Ramiro Beltran started his rich production with Notes for a social communication diagnosis in Latin America: persuasion in favor or status quo. In 1973 Communication Policies in Latin America, and in 1974 Communication Research in Latin America: inquiry in blinkers?
• In 1976 Juan Diaz-Bordenave (Paraguay) published Communication and Rural Development, and in 1978  Communication Planning.
• In  1972  Jose Marques de Mello (Brazil) published Compared Studios in Journalism, and in 1973 Sociology of Brazilian press.
• In 1974 Juan Somavia and Fernando Reyes Matta (Chile) created the ILET – Institute for Transnational Studies with a communication division. In 1980 both were part of the McBride Inform: One world, multiple voices.
• Peru, Colombia, Mexico, Ecuador, also had important scholars who contribute since the 70s to this process of building a regional thought.

SOME CONTRIBUTIONS

•         Orlando Fals Borda: IAP = Participative Action-Research

•         Eliseo Veron - Semiology

•         Nestor Garcia-Canclini – Cultural Studies

•         Jesus Martin-Barbero – Philosophy, Linguistics

•         Rafael Roncagliolo and Luis Peirano – Sociology

•         Rosa Maria Alfaro – Education and pedagogy

•         Rossana Reguillo – Urban youth studies

•         Rafael Obregon, Jair Vega – Communication and health

•         Clemencia Rodriguez – Citizen media

•         Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron – Social change

•         Immaculata Vasallo – Communication Research

LEGACY

1. Right of communication (as part of Human Rights)
2. National communication policies
3. Communication as part of cultural studies
4. The need for an independent journalism (Citizen’s journalism)
5. Citizens media beyond community media
6. The conceptualization of “from the other” (otredad) as a main epistemological perspective.
7. First comes communication transformations in action. Then follows reflection and theorization.
8. Communication potential for change reality arises from social movements with a political struggle to reach recognition and participation
9. Communication contributes to democratize society when it establishes and maintains intercultural dialogues in societies.
10. Communication is not neutral, it’s always political. When people and cultures are shown or hidden in a particular society, then it’s possible to balance communication or isolation.