The exercise of press freedom faces an environment marked by growing tensions between the government and independent media outlets. Among the main concerns are the discriminatory allocation of government advertising, official rhetoric discrediting the press, restrictions on access to government sources, digital harassment, and various initiatives affecting the conditions under which journalism is practiced.
The allocation of government advertising has been questioned over its alleged use to favor media outlets close to the government and limit support for critical media. Government officials have also continued to make statements that publicly discredit, stigmatize, and undermine journalists and media outlets.
President Laura Fernández’s weekly press conferences have raised concerns because of the predominant participation of pro-government media, several of which have limited reach and small news operations. The conferences, broadcast live by the state-owned television station, also generate audiovisual content that is subsequently reproduced by media outlets supportive of the government. These events include a segment known as “Dato mata mentira” (“Facts kill lies”), produced by the government and intended to challenge information published by independent media. Various sectors have questioned the methodology and treatment of information used in this segment.
Studies and surveys, including those conducted by the Program for Freedom of Expression and the Right to Information (PROLEDI) at the University of Costa Rica, with support from the Heinrich Böll Foundation, have documented pressure on journalists and an increase in self-censorship. Historically regarded as a regional exception in terms of press freedom, Costa Rica is showing increasingly clear signs of convergence with the mechanisms of pressure and stigmatization against journalists observed in other Central American countries, PROLEDI has stated.
Costa Rica has also experienced a decline in some international press freedom rankings: Reporters Without Borders ranked the country 36th, compared with eighth place in 2022.
Regarding access to public information, on August 10 the government issued Decree No. 45870-MSP, declaring certain information, documents, and contracts related to three security agencies to be state secrets: the Directorate of Intelligence and National Security, the National Public Security Council, and the Elite Force.
The classified information includes public contracts, including files, preliminary studies, bids, awards, and contracts, as well as information on operations, police plans, operational capabilities, and deployment methods. The decree also allows government officials to extend the classification to other security and defense actions coordinated by the Presidency. The Constitutional Chamber is reviewing four challenges filed against the decree, which have been consolidated into a single case.
Another area of concern is the reform of the Radio Law. On September 9, 13 opposition lawmakers filed a constitutional review petition, temporarily suspending consideration of bill No. 24.461 before its second and final legislative debate. The bill, promoted by the government, establishes new fees for the use of frequencies, calculated as percentages of gross revenue, reaching up to 7.73% for television companies and 3.13% for radio companies. Critics argue that these amounts could affect the economic viability of some media outlets.
The reform also allows the Executive Branch to invoke “public interest” grounds to reclaim or withdraw frequencies. The lawmakers who filed the petition questioned the breadth of this concept and the lack of a sufficiently clear procedure for defending and challenging such decisions. The Constitutional Chamber will rule on the alleged constitutional violations raised in the petition.
In another development, at the end of April, the U.S. government revoked the visas of five members of the Board of Directors of Grupo Nación, the company that publishes the newspaper La Nación and other publications. According to local media, the revocations were part of a broader series of visa cancellations that also affected judges, former lawmakers, former President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Óscar Arias, and other political and institutional figures in the country. Various sectors described the measures as part of an escalation of diplomatic pressure. La Nación also questioned the fact that the initial disclosure of the visa revocations occurred through channels other than official notification to the individuals affected.
Taken together, restrictions on access to information, pressure on media outlets and journalists, concerns over the allocation of government advertising, and regulatory initiatives concerning broadcasting create an environment of growing tension for independent journalism and press freedom.
In early September, a joint delegation from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) visited Costa Rica to meet with journalists, media executives, journalists’ associations, and academics to assess the situation. The mission also met with President Laura Fernández, members of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice, and former presidents of Costa Rica.
