The media in Ecuador is torn between its great cities, with ownership of the main nationals and television station based in Quito and Guayaquil. Even on the televised nightly news, coverage is split equally between newsdesks based in each city.

Newspapers run the gamut from in-depth reporting by national broadsheets to salacious coverage by tabloids. Television , on the whole, has a smattering of quality news and documentary programmes, but is dominated by imports, soaps and game shows with low production values. Ecuador has many local radio stations, which are considered the glue that binds remote communities together.