MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Independent press and journalists, targets of state controlled media in Latam
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) concluded on Monday its half-yearly meeting, held in Cádiz, Spain, with ratification of its conclusions, in which it declared that: “The main problems facing the press in the Americas are crimes against journalists for the sole fact that they are performing their work under governments of democratic origin, but which are authoritarian and use state-controlled media to persecute and defame the independent press”. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesThough there is some linkage to 'government',
Apr 24th, 2012 - 10:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0Brasil's killings of media persons are not thought to be instigated from the president's office - as is the case, allegedly, in other South American countries.
More frequently Brasilian press persons put themselves at risk through the reporting of corruptions in the police and in illegal deforestation.
The legal system in Brasil - offering unlimited appeals - brings an impunity such that it is not necessary to kill or otherwise seriously dissuade the messenger, the media.
Only those without means and without 'contacts' are at risk of serious jail-time.
Corrupt countries kill their journalists. That's just a fact caused by their need for information management.
Apr 24th, 2012 - 10:32 am - Link - Report abuse 0In this country journalists sometimes have a bad press. At this particular time I'm watching Murdoch jnr giving evidence to the LEVESON enquiry. These Latam journalists are a different breed. Very brave people, whos'se efforts can and sometime does cost them their lifes, they should be admired for the courageous people they are. We should be grateful to live in a society, where freedom of speech, is something we take for granted. Freee journalism ,is a safeguard to our rights. It holds those in power to account. We lose it at our peril.
Apr 24th, 2012 - 10:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0Reporters without Borders' Press Freedom Index 2011/2012 (larger number is worse):
Apr 24th, 2012 - 01:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Europe:
France 38
Spain 39
UK 28
Latin America examples:
Argentina 47
Brazil 99
Costa Rica 19
Ecuador 104
Venezuela 117
Cuba 167
- SEE MORE ABOUT RWB INDEX AND INFO: http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html
- ALSO COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS: http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html
I read this on another Merco article
Apr 24th, 2012 - 03:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0”Several overseas media outlets will be present but they will be CONTROLLED so that the sensitivities of the commemorations on the 14th of June 2012 may be respected.”
Freedom of press in Malvinas, colonial style of course..
http://www.falklandnews.com/public/story.cfm?get=6220&source=3
Yes, Marcos.
Apr 24th, 2012 - 05:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Controlling the excesses of the press is a good thing.
You wouldn't want them trampling over the graves to 'get the best shot', now would you?
If 'press excesses' can chase and cause the death of a princess in Paris, then I am all for a bit of control ...... self-control, as well.
The UK has laws and guidelines on press intrusion;
I would hazard a guess that, whichever country you come from, they do also.
There is no such thing as an “Independent” press. If it is not State controlled it is controlled by business or industry all hawking their slanted and colored truths.
Apr 24th, 2012 - 07:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Independent press?. It was obvious that the iapa was going to criticise only the governments and wasn't going to make any critic to the mediatic corporations that it represents. It forgat to tell about it's support to the diferent coup d'etats and ditatorships in latin america too.
Apr 24th, 2012 - 08:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Respecting argentina, i dont deny that our government eliminated the official advertising for some newspapers which were very critic of it's administration, which is repudiable, but the iapa omits that the official advertising represents just the 10% of the whole advertising. The iapa omits too about the broadcast law that was sanctioned in 2009 in argentina, which doesn't let the concentration of oligopolic groups in the media, it omits also about the declaration of public interest of the production of paper, which will give acces to an equal prise, for all the small newspapers, beside it doesn't say a word eather about the terribe mediatic concentration that we have in argentina, in the same way that it doesn't mention about the distortions and the mediatic operations that the most important newspapers do everyday.
I recommend you to search on line the map of reporters without borders, which is a non government organization that analysis the situation of the freedom of press in the whole world, you'll see that arg. and the u. k have good notes.
Respecting the public chanels, i watch public chanels everyday, because the anlaysis that their giornalists do, are much more ample and serious that the analysis of the giornalists from private chanels, who are functional usually to the corporations which fund their programs. In the public chanels there is total freedom of press like in the public radios, their giornalists debate not only about those news that are favourable to the government, they debate also about the supicions and denounces of corruption cases of it.
Finaly, i value so much the fact that the iapa mentions about the murders of giornalists in latin ameica.
None of media is independent in the world...
Apr 24th, 2012 - 09:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Grow up !
Fourth Brazilian reporter to die this year just got murdered:
Apr 24th, 2012 - 11:17 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Asesinaron a tiros a otro periodista en Brasil”: http://america.infobae.com/notas/49037-Asesinaron-a-tiros-a-otro-periodista-en-Brasil
Thanks John #10
Apr 25th, 2012 - 08:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0General homicides, as well as press homicides, seem to be greater in Brasil's Northern coastal states - even greater than the favela-loaded great cities of SP, Rio, etc.
Unlike the general population, however, it is difficult to express 'press homicides' in terms of 'homicides per 100,000', the standard statistical metric.
The almost 'frontier' culture in these Northern states - Bahia, Sergipe, Maranao, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Ceara, etc - appears to allow murder on demand and with little apprehension of the 'Teflon-people' ordering the killings.
People who try to make things difficult for the 'Teflon-people' - the investigative journalists who expose and point the finger of suspicion - become themselves occasionally subjected to Contracts of termination.
Men of power in the developing world - as elsewhere - use sometimes evil means to win and keep their power. We have seen this frequently in Brasil with land appropriation, deforestation, drugs and (child) prostitution.
In 'frontier-lands' this expresses itself more easily from the barrel of a gun, and press freelancers frequently put themselves more at risk than those working for the media giants; it was ever thus.
Bringing the real rule of law and order to lawlessness, immunity and impunity is the great battle that Rousseff needs to fight.
Well said, GeoffWard2! Many countries went through their periods of taming the frontier. If the Brazilian government wants to bring the rule of law to these states they will have to intercede with a Federal force loyal to establishing the rule of law for all people. But this is a double edged sword. The Central government can use the Rule of Law to strip you of your rights and force social change. A free people try to balance this but the media can be a force to reckon with when it is used by those seeking greater power.
Apr 25th, 2012 - 04:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Commenting for this story is now closed.
If you have a Facebook account, become a fan and comment on our Facebook Page!