Revision with unchanged content. This case study of leftist journalism in Latin America defines the charac-teristics, in specific historical circumstances, of Alternativa, a magazine pu-blished in Colombia from 1974 to 1980. The model was based on four ob-jectives ― counter-informing; doing investigation, analysis and interpretation; divulging the struggles of the people; and propitiating the unity of the left ― with the ultimate goal of bringing revolutionary change to the country. The Marxists background of its founders, which included Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garc a M rquez, determined the magazine's content and an initially independent and neutral approach toward the left parties, while reaching a wide mass-circulation readership. Principled political differences led the magazine to several crises that fostered its journalistic evolution, probing the limits of press freedom in its struggle to survive against a reckless and corrupt regime. The narrative reviews the history of the country as it was portrayed in the publication, contrasting it with that of the establishment's media; it highlights paramount issues such as human rights violations, corruption and the role of the press, through the coverage of Colombia s armed forces and police; and it explores the magazine's complex relationship with the left, which eventually led to its demise.