1. Introduction: Independence as a new digital proposition in newsrooms in South -- 2. Audience fragmentation and social polarization: case of Argentina, Brazil and Colombia.-3.Bridging communities in Argentina -- 4. Bridging communities in Brazil -- 5. Bridging communities in Colombia -- 6. South American news audience: why they choose digital news -- 7. South American news audiences: digital-native news functions in consensus building -- 8. Creating a common ground for informed conversations in South America: strategies to fulfill a primordial function within the digital news environment.

This book investigates the strategies used by South American digital-native news media in attracting diverse audiences, and their effectiveness, from an audience perspective, in bridging communities and building consensus. In recent years, independent digital news outlets have emerged in a landscape of increasing ideological polarization. The book addresses the pivotal question of whether these organizations can help promote social cohesion and overcome a divided and fragmented market. Drawing from extensive interviews conducted with audience members, journalists, and media executives from the established news markets of Argentina, Brazil and Colombia, de Macedo Higgins Joyce sheds new theoretical insights on the strategies and practice of independent digital news, its evolution, and its agenda-setting impact in the region. Innovative and rigorous, Digital-Natives News in South America deftly explores this new and important field of research and will be of interest to journalism researchers and media practitioners alike. Vanessa de Macedo Higgins Joyce, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University, USA.