MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Argentina’s top journalists demand “we want to ask” and list the ten issues ‘banned’ by CFK
Tens of leading Argentine journalists gathered in Buenos Aires in a television program where each of them was invited to make public what question they would like to ask President Cristina Fernandez in obvious reference to the difficulties to have access to the Argentine head of state and her very limited contact with the press. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesProof that no one in Argentina is interested in either the Malvinas or the desaparecidos any more....People are totally fed up with smoke and mirrors politics , and want answers to the real problems affecting the country .
May 15th, 2012 - 08:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0Fernando Bravo ? .........laugh !
May 15th, 2012 - 09:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0The sad thing is that this sort of problem doesn't seem to bother most of the Argentines that post here.
May 15th, 2012 - 09:36 am - Link - Report abuse 03. They know it is happening but there is nothing they are willing to do about it. It is not like living in a civilized country. You go against the gov't you die, if not you your family, if not die they will bankrupt you, it is a scary place to be a journalist.
May 15th, 2012 - 11:16 am - Link - Report abuse 0I hope all the smart guys like Guzz, British Kirchnerist, Marcos, etc. comment on this story. Come on guys, chime in on this.
May 15th, 2012 - 01:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Let's think of our own questions we'd like CFK to answer.......
May 15th, 2012 - 01:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Did you really believe you are up to the job?”
I think the malvinista crowd are on strike as far as this thread goes.
May 15th, 2012 - 02:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Anyway well done Lanata and all the independent journalists.
What a ridiculous stunt, coming from the land of Rebekah Brooks and the Leveson Inquiry one of the main attractions of Cristina to me is the emnity of the right wing corporate media to her, along with the support she in the main enjoys from the more democratic social media. These hacks think they can lie about her day and night, and now are moaning that she won't return their calls, so to speak. The right wing press are scum, and Lanata sadly seems to have degenerated from a man of some independent mind to a frontman for Clarin and the local Murdochs. The idea that Cristina is secretive about her opiunions and projects, and even her health, is ludicrous, its just she prefers to talk to the people directly and the “answers” she gives are not what these cynical hacks are prepared to hear.
May 15th, 2012 - 02:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#1 “Proof that no one in Argentina is interested in either the Malvinas or the desaparecidos any more”
Proof your mask has slipped and you oppose Cristina's human rights, anti-junta agenda
#4 “You go against the gov't you die”
Not with this government, but maybe after the coup you'r obviously building for...
@7 They want their handlers from Dear Leader's government to pay them in dollars instead of pesos Argentinos otherwise they'll stop posting.
May 15th, 2012 - 02:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#8 - I repeat something from the past: “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”
May 15th, 2012 - 02:39 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Hey it doesn't seem to bother the British posters one bit that in Britain “todos los telefonos estan pinchados”.
May 15th, 2012 - 02:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You can figure what that means.
You've gotta love Kirchnerite Logic (TM). KFC is the most awesome leader who ever graced our country, has superb communicational skills and intelligence and can run rings around this bunch of “mediocre” and “pathetic” journalists. That's why she's not afraid to answer questions. Oh wait...
May 15th, 2012 - 02:55 pm - Link - Report abuse 0She is a coward when it comes to the media, no doubt about it. But all argie politicians are cowards. I think we are the only country in the world with electricity that doesn't have presidential debates. They are all spineless and I have no problem saying that to their faces.
May 15th, 2012 - 02:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 08 British_Kirchnerist
May 15th, 2012 - 03:00 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You have to admit that only 5 press conferences is a little strange. I understand your point about wanting to talk directly to the people but that is just a one way convesation. She can say what she wants, on her own terms and without anyone bringing her up on it. Surely the basis of good government is dialogue and getting to the root of problems, it also allows for better accountability. I would be interested, for example, to find out why it is govenrment policy that all figures used by INDEC are rounded down to the nearest whole number (i.e. a 1.8% rise becomes a 1% rise). Without be able to ask why this is you'll never get an answer.
Imagine if we didn't have a forum for journalists to ask direct questions of our Prime Minister, we would have to rely on what he tells us as being gospel. Surely if this is just rabble rousing Cristina would be able to answer all questions with a truthful answer and nip these issues in the bud.
14 Welsh Wizard (#)
May 15th, 2012 - 03:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0May 15th, 2012 - 03:00 pm
The thing is Kretina is the owner of the only truth in Argentina, therefore it isn't necessary for the journalists to ask her questions. The TRUTH is on her side.
14 Welsh Wizard
May 15th, 2012 - 03:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0It reminds me of the first episode of Yes Prime Minister when Hacker gets to address the nation in a Prime Ministerial speech - and espouses all the benefits of it (all of which come from the dictatorial side of politics)
It is well known that in Europe and USA so-called public forums with heads of government are really not that at all.
May 15th, 2012 - 03:51 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The crowds are screened heavily, the questions are screened heavily. The myrmidons of the executive impose the conditions for the forum, everything is tightly controlled from the setting, to the lighting, etc.
At some point it ceases to be trully a free exchange.
It may be marginally better than nothing at all, but it is not saying much.
That's true of France - Sarkozy wouldn't allow anyone taller than him in the room. It was like a dwarves convention.
May 15th, 2012 - 03:53 pm - Link - Report abuse 0But he is with Carla Bruni all up and down the place. She is taller than him right? So it's not a secret though I guess I get the point.
May 15th, 2012 - 03:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@17 Can you provide some detailed specifics to your comments? Those kinds of posts when you say “it is well known...blah blah blah”. Back that up with some specific event with details and your post might have some credence. Otherwise you sound as idiotic as some of the other posters here.
May 15th, 2012 - 04:01 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@20
May 15th, 2012 - 04:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0When have you provided one shread of evidence for the sh!t you spout about anything related to Argentina and it's people?
You can't be serious.
I wonder why KFC will not talk to the Press?. Is it because she likes to make nationalist speeches to the public, without having to explain her policies to people who can pick holes in it i.e journalists
May 15th, 2012 - 04:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 021 tobias
May 15th, 2012 - 06:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0watch Jorge Lanata show on “El trece” might open your eyes
the English....not the British !!
May 15th, 2012 - 06:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Its incredibly easy to say -yes, but your country has problems too so how can you criticize Argentina?-
May 15th, 2012 - 06:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Noone is saying Britain is a shining beacon of goodness. Well, just a couple of idiots.
You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the UK who says that in the UK there isnt corruption, cronism, attempted manipulation of the media by the politicians etc.
But what separates the UK from Argentina re these issues is to the DEGREE that these issues occur and how are dealt with. The DEGREE!
There is a very public inquiry regarding the News of the World phone hacking scandal and as such the NOW one of the most popular papers in the UK no longer exists. The editor could go to jail for perverting the course of justice etc etc etc.
A useful indicator of corruption is this - In Britain what % of people would attempt to bribe a police officer in order to drop a traffic offence? Absolutely minimal. Virtually nothing.
And in Argentina...?
I was a cop for 35 years. Only one man ever tried to bribe me, a 3rd time drink driver. He was suitably advised.
May 15th, 2012 - 07:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@8 rotfl you are so funny. seriously.... where do you come up with this stuff?
May 15th, 2012 - 08:46 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Press Freedom Index 2011/2012:
May 16th, 2012 - 12:47 am - Link - Report abuse 0Higher - United Kingdom: 28
Lower - Argentina: 47
http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html
never been more freedom of speech in Argentina like now.
May 16th, 2012 - 10:22 am - Link - Report abuse 0The thing is that this Government has supported a law voted by the Congress that fights monopolies at the media industry. The two or three corporative media groups don't like the idea of more Argentine people accessing media.
While they say to be the keepers of the freedom of speech they do their best to try to stop argentine common people expressing themselves.
There is not only freedom of speech like never before in Argentina, but there is also a process of democratization of the media, where more and more social groups are having access to the media; the truth is that some fascist media does not like this and claims against CFK.
#6 “Let's think of our own questions we'd like CFK to answer.......”
May 16th, 2012 - 11:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0Yes lets. Question 1: What would you advise Greece to do to escape its current dire predicament?
Question 2: What advice do you have for Britain to get out of its double dip recession and restore growth?
Question 3: Whats it like to be the most beautiful President in th world, ever?
#12 “KFC is the most awesome leader who ever graced our country, has superb communicational skills and intelligence and can run rings around this bunch of “mediocre” and “pathetic” journalists. That's why she's not afraid to answer questions”
Thats right actually, however sarcasticly you meant it. She doesn't have to talk to these clowns to run rings round them in the national debate =)
#25 “There is a very public inquiry regarding the News of the World phone hacking scandal and as such the NOW one of the most popular papers in the UK no longer exists. The editor could go to jail for perverting the course of justice etc etc etc”
Indeed and both major parties and their leaders were very friendly with that paper and that editor until all the corruption, which we on the left had strongly suspected (to say the least) for many years, burst forth into the public. Maybe Cristina's more frosty relations with the corporate media don't look so bad by comparison =)
@Fermin.
May 16th, 2012 - 02:07 pm - Link - Report abuse 0There is a degree of freedom of press. But the fact is there is a huge number of free TV and radio channels that act as pure propaganda for the government
As long as the government has greater influence on the poorest people in society (the voting majority) then to appear democratic they'll allow a degree of press freedom.
If Argentina is serious about pursuing a truer democracy then amongst the first things it needs to do is get rid of these free and extensive nationalistic propaganda media channels which are not present in the most democratic societies in the world.
Welcome to Argentina!!
May 16th, 2012 - 08:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0( to help the first time visitor here are a few guidelines )
To save time, the government will now do all thinking for you. You will only ever hear, what they think you should need to hear.
We will answer all the questions for you ( except the ones you wanted to ask )
Please leave all independant thought at the airports / Seaport
The only people allowed to ask questions are the ones who never ask questions.
#29 Very well put fermin
May 17th, 2012 - 09:04 am - Link - Report abuse 0#31 Tobers your argument is really quite perverse, the social media you'r referring to is actually more democratic than the corporate media, which by the way is still bigger and more influential than the pro-government outlets. And put forward a point of view too, you know. If the poor believe the pro-government channels and grassroots media more than Clarin, may it be because they actually correspond more to their own experience. You basically come over as a neoliberal paternalist who sees it as “undemocratic” to appeal to the poor majority, rather warped logic
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