Panama in a Pandemic: The Digital Divide Became News

Abstract

This documentary research explores, describes, and analyzes the media coverage of the digital divide in Panama during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on van Dijk’s theoretical postulates, I frame the digital access gap in the context of an unequal society. The review reveals that serious asymmetries, defined by socioeconomic status and territorial division, prevail in Panama. The discontent generated by difficulties in accessing online education triggered wide coverage by the media. In most cases, however, media outlets treated this phenomenon with little explanatory depth. Given the centrality that this problem has acquired and its future implications, the paper provides recommendations in the fields of journalism, research, education, and public policy, which aim to contribute to the understanding of the digital divide and how it could be corrected.