Dominican Republic

There have been no significant violations of freedom of the press in this period. From the legal point of view, there has been an institutional strengthening in favor of the practice of journalism, in view of the fact that the new Constitution of the Republic assures that “professional secrecy and the journalist ‘s conscience clause are protected.” Likewise, the commission formed by the Executive Branch to compose a new law on expression and dissemination of thought, chaired by the ex-president of the IAPA, Rafael Molina Morillo, has submitted the draft of the text and it is expected to be sent to Congress. There continues to be, albeit to a lesser degree than at other times, a trend towards over-sensitivity and intolerance regarding news reports that contain denunciations and criticisms of distortion, deficiencies and irregular practices in some departments of the administration. Journalists and the media remain vigilant to avoid and modification of the Law on Free Access to Public Information, a valuable instrument of transparency for the press and also for citizens in general.