A methodological approach to studying Costa Rica’s Caribbean press (1884-1950)

Abstract

In Costa Rica, the Atlantic region is a multiethnic and multicultural space that clearly differs from the rest of the country. By 1900 the Caribbean was an area with a majority Afro-descendant population, and they coexisted alongside Chinese, Italians, and Central Americans. These people worked in the construction of the railroad and later in the United Fruit Company (UFCO). High literacy rates favor newspaper reading and there were more than 20 attempts to establish regular print that failed for various reasons. The only one that lasted for more than two decades was La Voz del Atlántico, (1934-1946), funded by diverse publicity. This paper aims to offer a methodological proposal for researching the history of the press in the Costa Rican Caribbean while considering the communicative circuit. This entails applying Robert Darnton’ methodological model to analyze how newspapers are born and distributed through society, that is, from the author to the reader via the editor, the printer and distributor. The reader completes the circuit.