Miami (January 12, 2011)—The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) today expressed its solidarity with Haiti’s news media and journalists who have carried out the important work of informing the public about humanitarian efforts and the country’s slow recovery despite the devastating earthquake and serious lack of human and financial resources they have faced.
IAPA President Gonzalo Marroquín sent words of encouragement in particular “to all those journalists and news media that had to overcome months of setbacks before being able to resume their mission of informing the people.” He recalled that during the January 12th earthquake last year some 300,000 people died, 31 journalists were killed, and in four of the hardest-hit cities most media buildings were destroyed or their printing or broadcast equipment seriously damaged.
Despite the tragedy, one year later 50% of radio stations – the country’s main news providers –are back on the air, Haiti’s oldest newspaper, Le Nouvelliste, has been recovering little by little following serious damage to its presses and the country’s second newspaper, Le Matin, is published as a weekly from the neighboring Dominican Republic.
Marroquín praised the work of media around the world that has kept the issue of Haiti on international front pages by sending their correspondents to investigate and criticizing the inadequate recovery effort and the unfulfilled promises of government aid. He also acclaimed the effective use of communication technology and people’s participation via social networks that gave a new perspective to solidarity. And he lauded the work of international press and human rights groups that have contributed with donations for news projects and the training of journalists, among other programs.
Marroquín, editor of the Guatemala City, Guatemala, newspaper Prensa Libre, declared, “Haiti is still living this tragedy and it is up to us, the news media, to help them keep informing.”
The IAPA president recalled and thanked IAPA members for their valuable donations of funds and equipment to the Haitian press made through the Haiti News Project, an organization created to aid journalists and the media both economically and through professional training.
The IAPA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and of expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 print publications from throughout the Western Hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida. For more information please go to http://www.sipiapa.org.
