The media are essential to implementing the public information laws, enabling citizens to have a better knowledge of the current legislation, but they are also a tool for the exercise of journalistic activity in its role as watchdog of state institutions. Although Uruguay has an acceptable level of media development –considering its number of commercial, community and state radio stations and the number of existing newspapers- the same cannot be said about the diversity and plurality of the country’s media system as a whole. Among audiovisual media, private supply is thoroughly predominant, with only one state channel, one municipal television channel and one small network of state radios. Three nationwide channels have a concentration level that exceeds international standards. As for the written press, the situation is acceptable, with four dailies and two weeklies with a nationwide circulation, and a robust local press. The community sector is emerging and is only present in frequency modulation.

This project attempts to address the situation through training, the exchange of experiences and the implementation of regulations that require the empowerment of journalists to improve their product and better inform society. It will train journalists, registered or not in the Press Association of Uruguay (Asociación de la Prensa del Uruguay - APU) and the Press Organization of the Interior (Organización de la Prensa del Interior - OPI), to enable them to spread within their workplaces the acquired knowledge and to apply the tools related with freedom of speech and access to information.