In the past, the fortunes of the press in Argentina has varied greatly depending on the prevailing political situation. Overbearing state control and censorship characterized much of the twentieth century, typified by the Perón regime and the browbeating of the last era of military rule in the late 1970s, when, once Jacobo Timerman's La Opinión was closed down, the Buenos Aires Herald stood alone in refusing to let the issue of the disappeared slip off the agenda. The current situation is much more dynamic, and a resilient streak of investigative journalism provides a constant stream of stories revolving around official corruption. Journalists often take considerable risks in the process: one case that horified the nation was the brutal murder of a photojournalist, Cabezas.

Argentina's biggest-selling national daily is Clarín , which sells over half a million copies daily and over a million for its Sunday edition, which is packed with supplements, including an excellent cultural guide. The Clarín media group has a stake in several leading provincial dailies, such as the Río Negro , which are to a large extent reproductions of the mother paper but given a more local focus. Clarín also owns Olé , a paper dedicated solely to sport, with football taking up the lion's share. Second in importance to Clarín is La Nación , a broadsheet that was founded in 1870 by Bartolomé Mitre, a former Argentine president, and leans to the right of centre. It too prints a bumper Sunday edition. Unabashedly anti-establishment, Página 12 is a paper with a distinct, trenchant style, a strong tradition of investigative journalism, and a particular penchant for harrying the ex-members of Latin military juntas who are guilty of crimes against humanity, especially the Argentine ones. One satirical cover it is fond of reproducing in this uncompromising crusade is a mugshot of whichever of these generals or admirals happens to be in the news superimposed onto the body of someone garbed in a prison uniform.

Argentina's regional press is also strong, though the quality varies enormously across the country. A handful of local dailies such as Mendoza's Los Andes and Córdoba's La Voz del Interior are every bit as informative and well-written as the leading national newspapers, and they contain vital information about tourist attractions, cultural events and travel news. The other advantage is they're often on the newsstands before the Buenos Aires-based titles arrive.

The Buenos Aires Herald is the continent's most prestigious English-language daily (dating back to 1876), with strong international news coverage and features from the international press, including Britain's The Guardian . In recent years, it has been headed by the astute author and commentator, Andrew Graham-Yooll. It is pitched at the highbrow end of the market and is well respected for the quality of its journalism but, unsurprisingly, it is still associated in the minds of many Argentines with the old-style Anglo-Argentine elite. It won international plaudits for its principled stand on human rights issues in the dark years of the last military dictatorship, but suffered during the Malvinas/Falklands war when distributors refused to stock it. Football coverage in its sports section focuses on British leagues rather than their Italian or Spanish counterparts. The Herald is reasonably widely available, but don't expect to find it outside major cities and tourist centres in the provinces.

Greatly admired for its independent investigative journalism is the magazine   XXII , whose circulation is relatively minor due to its intellectual stance. More populist, but well worth checking out, is Noticias , a general-interest magazine that mixes well-researched investigative journalism features with a leavening of gossip and sport, and which includes a short section of international news. It takes particular delight in exposing alleged corruption within the circle of family and associates of ex-president Menem. Other magazines include Gente and Caras , which are glossies that form part of the tabloid press ( prensa de farándula ).

Newspapers and magazines are sold at pavement kiosks , usually found near the main square or bus terminals. In outlying areas, you pay a supplement (usually $0.20), and dailies often don't arrive till late in the day. International publications such as Time, Newsweek and The Economist are sold at the kiosks on Calle Florida in Buenos Aires, and you can normally track these down in other larger cities, although distribution can be erratic.