Miami (EFE).- The Inter-American Press Association (SIP) concluded its semi-annual meeting on Thursday with an alert about “one of the worst moments of democracy” in Latin America, reflected in the increase in attacks on media and press men in almost the entire region.
The three-day meeting, held virtually, addressed symptomatic cases such as those of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, countries where attacks on the independent press have intensified or even disappeared, as well as the persecution of journalists, some of them who have had to go into exile.
Violence alarm in America
Today, given the climate of generalized violence, IAPA directors deepened their requests for the protection of journalists.
“We have unequivocal signs that we are going through one of the worst moments for democracy in our Americas,” said IAPA President Michael Greenspon, opening the meeting on Tuesday, which was held virtually and concluded today with the approval of reports on the state of press freedom in 24 countries of the region.
Several resolutions were also approved today, in one of which the body, made up of more than 1,300 publications in the Western Hemisphere, condemned “the increase in attacks and attacks against media outlets and journalists in most of the countries of the Americas.”
In fact, during this event, the tenth murder of a journalist in the region was confirmed. The name of Haitian Ricot Jean was added to those of four other Haitian journalists, a Colombian, an American, a Paraguayan, a Honduran and a Guatemalan.
During the meeting, the “Fundamental Lab” initiative was announced, between the IAPA and Google, focused on sustainability and increasing the audience of the media in Latin America, and the effects that the imminent irruption of artificial intelligence (AI) will have ) in the newsrooms.
Platform moderation and female leadership
During the day this Wednesday, Unesco experts gave clues about the guide for the regulation of digital platforms that the organization has been preparing since last year, and highlighted that the initiative puts “the safeguarding of freedom of the press and expression” first. ”.
According to Ana Cristina Ruelas, for this guide UNESCO is carrying out consultations “with multiple stakeholders to create guidelines” towards the regulation of digital platforms, with actors from more than 130 countries.
The legislative proposals presented in the US and Canada so that the media receive fair remuneration from digital platforms for the content they distribute was the subject of another panel held today.
A panel on inclusion and female leadership in the Latin American media analyzed a study carried out by the Reuters Institute in 12 countries, which shows that only 22% of management positions in these organizations are held by women.
Gabriela Vivanco, director of the newspaper La Hora, from Ecuador, Cathy Reyes, director of the CNN channel in Spanish, Laura Puertas, from Corporación Medcom, from Panama, and Martha Ramos, from the Mexican Editorial Organization (OEM) participated.
Approval of IAPA reports and resolutions
In the last section of the semi-annual meeting, the IAPA approved the reports on press freedom in 24 countries, among which the Venezuelan case stands out, where the Government has “systematically” reduced the media spectrum in the country, and in the In the case of Cuba, the IAPA points out that “the crisis of independent journalism is approaching a depth never seen in the last 30 years.”
Regarding Nicaragua, the report regrets that the government of Daniel Ortega has intensified its attacks against freedom of the press and expression, which has included the expulsion and denationalization of journalists, the closure of media outlets, and censorship.
Among the resolutions approved are those that reject access to public information and information coverage suffered by journalists in Latin America, and judicial and tax harassment as a weapon to intimidate the work of the media, and legal initiatives in Bolivia, Peru and the United States that they represent “serious setbacks for press freedom.”
Another document denounces that drug trafficking threats against journalists and the media have become “a serious risk for the practice of journalism in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico and Paraguay.”