Although Guatemala has no newsstands, no doubt that you'll encounter several Guatemalan newspapers (and magazines) during your stay in Guatemala. Newspapers are distributed in many ways, from stores and by street vendors. Sale of newspapers is still high although the Internet is slowly taking over when it comes to news consumption.
Newspapers are very cheap in Guatemala. The normal daily edition is Q 3 and Sunday editions usually cost Q 5. Each publisher likes to put some slogan on his product, often mentioning honour, dignity, independence, in general, how useful for the society their information is. So, here are the most prominent newspapers on the market:
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Nuestro Diario
It is a tabloid that publishes mostly articles about crime and violence. It is garnished with a bit of football (soccer) and semi-nude beauty in each edition. That combination is a winner in Guatemala and it has the widest circulation in the nation. Feel macho today? Read Nuestro Diario.
Slogan: News as they are
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Prensa Libre
Translated „free press“, Prensa Libre is what we call a serious newspaper. It means that is not so sensationalistic, that it offers commentaries, culture, history and other serious stuff. It has a big Sunday edition with magazines inside, but is also prone to commercialization and maintenance of the „national interests“.
Slogan: Independent, honest and dignified journalism
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El Periódico
Can be mostly obtained in the City. It is a kinda black sheep of all newspapers since it openly criticises the government and publishes gossip about prominent political figures through its section „El Peladero“ (the one that peels). Some street vendors tend to hide this paper under the others and sell it only on request.
Slogan: no slogan
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Al Día
Another tabloid that competes with Nuestro Diario in trash, filth, crime and violence. But, not yet so successful in that activity as the original. At the moment of publishing of this article, Al Dia is not printed because, as they say, it is going through a „restructuration“.
Slogan: In the heart of our people
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Publinews, Soy502 and some others
Commercial prospects that are circulated free of charge mostly in Guatemala City. Soy502 is at the same time aggressive news portal that you'll not be able to avoid if googling anything about Guatemala. Good source of paper for washing your windows.
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El Quetzalteco
Based in Quetzaltenango, second largest Guatemalan city. It is published three times a week. That's about it.
Slogan: Word of honour
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Revue, Que Pasa
Commercial magazines in Antigua Guatemala that in one part have some useful information about the town of Antigua and life there, but you'll have to dig that out of the noise of advertisements. It is hard to distinguish content and advertisement here. Distributed free of charge, established by the foreigners. Revue is proud to be in English.
In conclusion, press in Guatemala is heavily fighting to stay alive, but not because of the Internet, but because prices can not be higher and give some independence to the journalists. Besides that, it is very dangerous to be a journalist in Guatemala. A result is a combination of sensationalism (for sale effect) and commercial advertising garbage (another source of the income). So, don't take the press here so serious as you normally would.