Censorship Of Latin Democracies - Political Forum

CHUQ · #1 (**permalink**) 04-24-2007, 07:19 AM

It seems that the fledgling SA democracies are finding ways to cnsor the news.

When an Argentine activist asked a municipal press officer to justify spending taxpayer money on lavish ads in a local paper warning citizens not to abandon their dogs, the official clenched a copy of the paper in his hand and said: "We purchase this!"

With a simple declaration, the press officer confirmed what activists and journalists in the province of Tierra del Fuego understand all too well—government advertising is a subtle and effective way of controlling a supposedly free press.

Stop the Press: Censorship on the Rise in Latin American Democracies - Worldpress.org

Viv · #2 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 02:40 PM

It's a problem everywhere. Maybe less blatant in other countries where the goverment has more finesse. The BBC was dominated by the British government and suspect it still is. "1984" by George Orwell, who worked in the BBC....

Brother Oz · #3 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 03:14 PM

Hey, if the current way the Beeb portrays the government is what happens when it's controlled by them, I'd hate to see what they'd say about the government if they were free!

Anyway, it isn't only Latin America. As Scots Chick pointed out, this situation can be found anywhere. At the end of the day, there's not much Free Press. Either they're state-owned, or private in which case their objective is to earn lots of money.
There are a few non-profit papers out there, but they're pretty rare.

Viv · #4 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 04:49 PM

Oz, are you following me or what?
The current government is doing all right by the BBC, governments have been positively vilified in the past but not now.
Of course, that could be because they're decent people and not corrupt...

Brother Oz · #5 (**permalink**) 06-02-2007, 05:21 PM

Quote:

Oz, are you following me or what?

Quote:

The current government is doing all right by the BBC, governments have been positively vilified in the past but not now.

Well, they give a fairly objective view. Which currently, means constantly reporting bad things about the government, and nothing positive.
I think the main reason why they don't come off as badly as some previous governments is just that Blair is a media genius. His speeches are designed to deny them any soundbites that can be used against him, and his press conferences are the same.

CHUQ · #6 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 05:49 AM

Here he goes again.

CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez threatened Saturday to terminate the broadcast licenses of private media outlets seen as sowing unrest in Venezuela, just days after he yanked the nation's oldest private TV station off the air.

Radio Caracas Television, or RCTV, was forced off the air May 27 after Chavez refused to renew its broadcast license, citing the channel's conduct during a failed coup in 2002 and alleged violations of broadcast laws.

Chavez threatens to end licenses of other TV stations - International Herald Tribune

Brother Oz · #7 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 09:22 AM

I'm not sure you can count Venezuela as a Latin Democracy since they granted Chavez temporary absolute powers.

Viv · #8 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 10:16 AM

Dangerous practice. People will surely see him as having something to hide. Freedom of speech is key, but it surprises how few countries have it.

Cicronio · #9 (**permalink**) 06-03-2007, 11:51 AM

What exactly is it that the Klingon Empire's aka USA's flock of public relations parrots can't get through their heads regarding Hugo Chavez' democratically elected gov't's right to defend itself against the now defunct RC TV station that was headquarters to the old, white, landed, rich & CIA backed oligarchy's attempt to VIOLENTLY OVERTHROW the legitimate gov't of Venezuela serving as warehouse for arms and inciting the masses to arm themselves and go to the streets to topple the gov't?

What is it they can't understand about it? WHAT!?! Sheesh!

If any U.S. television station started fomenting a violent overthrow of the Moron-in-Chief's gov't through the use of arms, the FCC would shut it down in a nanosecond.

So stop squawking because the U.S. gov't would do the exact same thing under the same circumstances, in fact, it has. Read on.

AMERICANS FOR RADIO DIVERSITY: FCC Raid Shuts Down Radio Free Cascadia

"...Early in the morning of Thursday, March 15th, the Federal Communications Commision (FCC), along with 8 U.S. Marshalls, 3 local cops, and other agents arrived with a search warrant, battering ram, and drawn guns to search and seize the long running micro-power station, Radio Free Cascadia (RFC) 98.5 FM.

People living at the Whiteaker neighborhood residence were awoken and questioned individually as to the operations of the station and people involved. All broadcasting equipment was taken into custody. Radio Free Cascadia has been providing an alternative to corporate radio for over three years to the Eugene community. This was an obvious attack on free speech and autonomy. RFC claims "We will be back on the air!" Stay tuned for more information..."

CHUQ · #10 (**permalink**) 06-04-2007, 04:41 AM

Was not that raid because of a licensing dispute and no so much on content?