The pursuit of criticism

Freedom of the press and expression suffer great restrictions in Americaaccording to the Chapultepec Index of the Inter-American Press Association (SIP). In the study, coordinated by academics from the Andrés Bello Catholic Universityof Venezuelathrough a network of experts, the average of the 22 nations analyzed in the fifth edition, between August 2, 2023 and August 1, 2024, is below the middle range in the classification. That represents a decline for the second year in a row. The measurement goes hand in hand with the erosion of trust in journalism in many societies.

The chapter of Argentinatitled The pursuit of criticismsays that in the first six months of the president’s administration Javier Mileistarted on December 10, 2023, four out of ten attacks against journalists came from the government: “The majority were carried out by the President of the Nation himself, replicated by an army of influencers and trolls on social networks. “The stigmatizing discourse against journalists and the media, frequent in previous governments for their hostility towards the traditional press, increased in this period, marked by growing hostility.”

Donald Trump’s school, with its constant attacks against those who think differently, honors a disciple

That hostility was reflected in the brutal attack outside the National Congress against a mobile Chain 3of Cordova. A reflection of the extreme that can be reached when one pole of the ideological arc or another identifies journalism and the media as those responsible for the hardships of a country. The radio reporter, Orlando Moralescovered a rally against Base Law and the fiscal package sent by the government to Senate. They hit him, overturned the vehicle and, with no occupants, set it on fire. There were no arrests for that particular incident.

The school of donald trumpwith its constant attacks against those who think differently, decorates a disciple. Milei, at the antipodes of the left and the picketers, won the presidential election in the November 20, 2023 runoff. His attacks against journalism date back to 2018, when he was a panelist on a television program. Since his inauguration, the grievances went from insults such as “ignorant,” “stupid,” and “donkeys” to threats and civil lawsuits. Between 2021 and 2023, as a national deputy, he had more than 20 incidents with the press.

This unfortunately normalized rhetoric not only lies in personal grievance, the seed of self-censorship. He runs in other lanes when criminal sanctions are used to silence critical voices. This is an alarming trend used by governments and other agents, according to the report The use of financial legislation to pressure, silence and intimidate journalists and media outletsof Edward Pittman and Elisa Playspublished by the UNESCO. The journalist highlights it Ricardo Rivascorrespondent in Argentina of the newspaper La Nación, from Paraguayand ambassador for peace of the Voice for Peace Network Foundation.

“There is a worrying pattern of abuse of financial legislation and administrative procedures to accuse journalists”

The report says: “There is a worrying pattern of abuse of financial legislation and administrative procedures to charge journalists, often as part of a package of charges of economic and non-economic crimes and accompanied by smear campaigns. Many prosecutions result in long prison sentences and considerable fines. Unlike charges of slander or defamation, it is not necessary to establish a connection between the content produced by the journalist or the media and the accusation.”

An outrage, perhaps worse than the insults of presidents and former presidents in the sewers of social networks. Between 2005 and 2024 there were 120 such accusations. Six out of 10, between 2019 and 2023, show a strong increase in the application of these resources against journalists. A 2023 report from the Thomson-Reuters Foundation defines eight categories of legal threats against journalists: tax evasion, money laundering, extortion, blackmail, terrorist financing, fraud, embezzlement and illegal receipt of funds from abroad. As atrocious as the diatribes when there is no more evidence than a horde of fanatics demanding a firing squad.

Note: this is an article republished from the media “El Internite” through a cooperation agreement between both parties for the dissemination of journalistic content. original link.