Research Guides: International News: Dominican Republic

Researcher

Maddie Wilson

General

Dominican Republic declared its independence on February 27, 1844, from Haiti after a period of Haitian occupation. The capital is Santo Domingo, and the official language is Spanish. With a population of around 11 million, the currency is the Dominican peso (DOP). Situated in the Caribbean, it shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

News Sources

Listin Diario
A moderate news source and is the leading newspaper in the Dominican Republic. The newspaper's views tend to lean in support of government policies and hold them very high. They also do not like to report on anything too radical against the government.
Hoy
A slightly skewed right wing newspaper that tends to support views that are pro democracy and also pro-business.They are reported to favor the elite class and support anti-Haitian migration.

Political Climate and Media Biases

The Dominican Republic’s constitution guarantees the freedom of the press and expression. Currently, they are ranked #35 in the 2024 RSF Index, as many journalists are facing less criticism and backlash. Many politicians work with the press to limit misinformation, but there is fear of being wiretapped by the government.

Academic Sources

Freedom House
Shows the initial bases of freedom of the media in the Dominican Republic
Encyclopedia Britannica
Initial background information
Craemer, T., & Martínez, S. (2020). Anti-Haitian stereotypes in three Dominican daily newspapers: a content analysis. Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies, 16(1), 85–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/17442222.2020.1773031
Exemplifies how Listin Diaro leans politically on issues.
EPFL
Information on Hoy and the group that owns it. Shows why Hoy has a bias toward businesses and elites.