Freedom in retreat?
"No country safe from the censorship power," concludes the IAPA
Charleston, SC (October 6, 2015).- The 71st General Assembly of the
Inter American Press Association (IAPA ), which gathered more than 300
media executives and journalists, ended today after five days of
sessions. The following document summarizes the debates and discussions
that took place over press freedom in the Western Hemisphere.
CONCLUSIONS
of the 71th General Assembly
October 2 – 6, 2015
Unremitting violence against media outlets and journalists; the
proliferation of laws, initiatives, and pressures from governments
attempting to control the free flow of information both in the
traditional media and on new media platforms; restrictions on access to
public information; the discriminatory placement of government
advertising; and greater concentration of media outlets in the hands of
those with ties to governments. These were the warnings sounded most
loudly by the publishers gathered at the 71st General Assembly of the
Inter American Press Association.
No country in the Americas is safe from the wave of censorship that is
spreading like a massive oil spill. This is true even in countries that
have traditionally upheld press freedom, in some cases under the
paradoxical pretext of promoting pluralism, of ensuring the “right to
forget,” or of stopping “hate speech.” This, combined with the rising
prominence of thugs affiliated with drug trafficking and urban gangs,
poses clear risks for civil liberties, and for freedom of expression and
freedom of the press in particular, and hence for the strengthening of
democracy in the Americas.
The unlawful actions of organized crime, drug trafficking gangs, and
parapolice groups — many of which have gone unpunished — have left a
toll of 11 journalists killed since March 2015: three each in Brazil and
Mexico, two in Guatemala, and one each in Colombia, Honduras, and the
Dominican Republic. In Colombia, the statute of limitations ran out on
two 1995 killings, although it should be noted that former Congressman
Ferney Tapasco was convicted of ordering the murder of Orlando Sierra.
Various countries in the region saw physical assaults, attacks, acts of
coercion and threats against journalists and media outlets for reasons
related to their work. In Bolivia, three journalists were detained and
temporarily jailed in retaliation for their reporting on government
corruption. Acts of repression were directed against reporters covering
elections in Guatemala and Argentina, and against those reporting on
conflicts and social protests in Peru, Ecuador and Brazil.
In Venezuela, where the government is establishing totalitarian control
over the media, 287 violations of press freedom have been documented so
far this year, including assaults on journalists, efforts to
criminalize the work of journalists, and restrictions on access to
information. In a positive development, the Inter-American Court of
Human Rights issued a ruling in early September ordering the return of
equipment and licenses to RCTV, but this ruling has been ignored thus
far by the administration of Nicolás Maduro.
In Cuba, despite the reestablishment of relations between the Cuban and
U.S. governments, little progress has been made in freedom of
expression, freedom of association, and freedom of the press, and two
journalists remain behind bars. The methods of repression include
censorship of critical websites, inspection of emails, suspension of
mobile phone service, and physical and verbal attacks on activists and
independent journalists.
In Ecuador, the climate of repression from oversight entities tasked
with enforcing the Communication Act remains in place. Penalized media
outlets and organizations invoked their constitutional right to
resistance. A proceeding that would have dissolved FUNDAMEDIOS was
dismissed, but the threats remain. The Saturday presidential addresses
continue, in which those who dare to dissent from the government line
are called out and stigmatized. In Argentina and Venezuela, the
respective presidents abusively use national networks to air partisan
propaganda and lambaste their critics.
Abuses and the discriminatory use of government advertising are on the
rise in Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Mexico.
In the United States, the Justice Department revealed that in 2014 it
issued two subpoenas and a search warrant, and that it twice authorized
the questioning of media outlets and journalists. Two reporters who
covered last year’s unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, were charged with
“interference” and “trespassing.”
Restrictions on access to government-held information were exacerbated
in Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti,
Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and
Venezuela.
In Chile, proposed laws could constitute severely undermine press
freedom, including through interference in the editorial line of media
outlets, restrictions on property rights and the undermining of the
right to free enterprise, harm to journalistic enterprises and
journalists, and restrictions on access to information.
In Panama, a bill currently under consideration would require
journalists to be members of professional associations and would
establish prison terms for illegally practicing journalism, among other
serious restrictions. The investigations into illegal wiretappings of
journalists are ongoing.
The concentration of media outlets in the hands of government entities
or of people with ties to the government is an increasing phenomenon in
the Americas. In Paraguay, for example, a business group linked to
President Horacio Cartes purchased a group of media outlets, triggering
controversy over the concentration of media in the hands of those close
to the government. In Nicaragua, President Daniel Ortega maintains firm
control over media outlets and journalists. Only one television station,
one radio station, and one newspaper remain as independent media
outlets; the remainder are owned by the Ortega family or by people close
to them. Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa failed to fulfill his
commitment to reprivatize the media outlets that had been expropriated
by his administration. And Argentina has seen a proliferation of
multimedia groups born and raised on government advertising, despite
paltry audience numbers.
In Uruguay, the online surveillance program of the Interior Ministry
has caused concern, and pending before the Supreme Court are 18 claims
seeking to have the Law of Audiovisual Communication Services declared
unconstitutional.
In Costa Rica, meanwhile, a proposed law on radio and television that
was hostile to private enterprises and press freedom was set aside, and
initiatives to regulate government advertising, decriminalize the work
of journalists, and legalize community radio stations are under
consideration. Still, free journalism continues to face a number of
threats.
Also worth noting are the coordinated efforts of press freedom
organizations in the region, such as the recently formed Quito Forum,
which put forward an action plan to demand that press freedom be upheld
in Ecuador.
http://www.sipiapa.org/en/no-country-safe-from-the-censorship-power-concludes-the-iapa/
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