San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
The president of the Inter-American Press Association (SIP) and also president of the OPSA Group, Jorge Canahuati Larach, calls to sustain and strengthen democratic values as societies in the face of a 2021 that will have the inertia of this pandemic year.
In a letter sent to IAPA partners, Canahuati Larach affirms that the crisis it promoted the contribution of the media in the search for the truth. Then the letter …
End of the year message from the president of the Inter-American Press Association,
Jorge Canahuati, president of Grupo Opsa,
San Pedro Sula, Honduras
“Although all activities and disciplines have suffered the devastation of the pandemic, now that this difficult year is coming to an end I want to underline the immeasurable value that independent journalism brings to citizens and democracy in traumatic and difficult times.
The media and professional journalism may not have done different things than usual, such as seeking the truth, monitoring public and private powers, generating public conversation on decisive issues and defending the right to freedom of expression. However, the pandemic has boosted these contributions, with a public that turned massively to the media in search of quality and reliable information.
Despite this reunion between citizens and the media, journalistic companies suffered with all their severity the attacks of Covid-19, especially because the deflated economy drastically reduced advertising revenues. Many local medium and small media disappeared, orphaning entire communities, now more vulnerable to injustice and corruption. Other media had to shrink to face the crisis, weakening content and its future. And almost all of them had to hurriedly invest in the change of business model to finish embracing the digital transformation, acquiring debts with which they compromise their present.
This dichotomy, between the value of the media in a democracy and its struggle not to disappear, is one of our priorities. A democratic society prides itself on strong and independent civic institutions and a robust and scrutinizing press.
Faced with this dilemma, we believe that state They must continue to provide stimuli and solutions to all sectors of the economy, including the press, which in many countries has been relegated as an industry, to allow them to continue strengthening society in the midst of adversity.
In July and October we sent a letter to all Governments of the Americas, which reads: ‘In times of crisis and emergency, independent journalism and professional media are essential for free nations. Ensuring its viability and permanence is a responsibility of democratic societies. ‘
In this sense, we reiterate our satisfaction to President Iván Duque, of Colombia, for being the first American government to include a stimulus package in its budget law -already approved for 2021- that contains an item of more than 20 million dollars for encourage digital transformation, strengthening and economic reactivation of the media.
We also reiterate our appreciation for Radical Change Party of Colombia that, in the understanding of the serious situation experienced by the media, has presented a law in the National Congress that includes loans, economic and tax incentives with special consideration to the regional media. We understand that the Liberal Party, among others, has already expressed its approval of this initiative, which would be approved in the next parliamentary exercise.
We are convinced that these initiatives of the Executive and Legislative powers of Colombia, with adherence to technical, objective, control and transparency measures, and respecting editorial independence, could be infected and adopted by other governments in the region that also value the role preponderant that professional and independent journalism have for democratic life.
We believe that it is also essential to bring multilateral organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the Andean Development Corporation, among others, closer to this dialogue, as well as organizations that defend democracy and freedom of expression, such as the Organization of States. Americanos and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and its Office of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression.
Nor do we want to leave out foundations, non-governmental institutions, and private companies, knowing that freedom of the press, an independent press, and democracy are universal rights and duties, as well as mandates, embedded in almost all American constitutions.
2021 will have the inertia of this pandemic year. The negative effects will continue or, in many cases, get worse. As societies we have a responsibility to uphold and strengthen democratic values.
From the IAPA we will continue supporting journalism and our partners with initiatives to support digital development projects, convinced that the sustainability and strength of the media is an essential requirement to maintain the public’s right to be informed. And as always, out of adherence to democratic values, we will maintain our fierce struggle for the validity of freedom of the press and expression to which the declarations of Chapultepec and Salta commit us.
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