The price of silence
Subtitle: the growing threat of soft censorship in Latin America
Contributors: Open Society Justice Initiative; Asociación por los Derechos Civiles (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Series: Legal policy series; Legal policy series
Published: 2008
Language: eng
ISBN-13: 9781891385834
Subjects: Mass media; Freedom of the press
Description: This report examines a growing trend in Latin America: behind-the-scenes government interference with media freedom and editorial independence. These abuses, characterized as 'soft censorship,' remain largely invisible to the general public, while casting a long, insidious shadow on free expression. In particular, this report documents government abuses of financial and regulatory powers over the media, such as those related to advertising and licensing processes, as well as other content-based interferences. It also describes forms of government pressure that may be very powerful and direct--such as ultimatums to fire vocal journalists--but which have remained unexposed and unchallenged. The study catalogues abuses in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, and Uruguay.
Notes: Viewed on (Oct. 8, 2008).