Early forms of language and data codification, journaling, and keeping

Throughout the evolution of Latin American journalism, the crucial role of data has remained undisputed, with its roots traceable to ancient Mesoamerican codification systems and their colonial successors. Pre-Hispanic cultures, such as the Inca and Maya, harnessed elaborate glyph writing in which they codified messages and information. These included media like khipus to document historical events, underpinning ancient forms of data recording. With the advent of European colonies in Mesoamerica, indigenous forms of information codification and its keeping underwent a transformation. Early European entities began gathering and disseminating data, often influenced by colonial imperatives. Media structures in the colonies began to emulate European models, and indigenous data recording systems gave way to colonially influenced practices. However, the post-independence era saw a resurgence of regional identities, with journalism seeking to harmonize indigenous practices with European legacies. This chapter explores the interplay between indigenous Mesoamerican data recording, its colonial transformation, and the subsequent hybridization in the independence era. Through this lens, we probe into how data became both a tool and a reflection of the shifting power dynamics and cultural imprints across these distinct time periods.