In this period, as occurred in the previous one, senior federal government officials have been maintaining a hostile attitude and one of confrontation towards the news media in general and certain journalists in particular.
A recent survey conducted by the Forum of Journalists for Freedom of Expression and Information Foundation among 50 journalists in the country shows that 50% of them think that the situation has not improved in the last year. And 37% said that in fact it has worsened.
Some months ago the government called for a national dialogue on freedom of expression with as mediator the Panamanian Roman Catholic Church, headed by Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa. However, the dialogue did not prosper, due in large part to the lack of trust on the part of the journalist guilds about the governments intentions for it.
The National Journalism Council (CNP), the only body bringing together all the journalist guilds, news media and academia, said in a press release that the right to freedom of expression it not subject to dialogues, agreements or negotiations. According to the CNP President Ricardo Martinellis call, made through the archbishop, should have as a starting point a formal commitment by the government to halt making attacks on and proclamations defamatory to journalists, and direct and indirect pressure on news media. Despite pleas by Archbishop Ulloa to begin the dialogue, it has not been possible.
Pressure applied by officials on various news media are more frequent when what is published or disseminated is information concerning possible wrongdoing or alleged corruption. The leading media subjected to such pressure have been La Prensa, TVN Noticias and Omega Stéreo and reporters working in those media, such as Lina Vega, Mónica Palm and Santiago Cumbrera of La Prensa, Álvaro Alvarado of Medcom, and Siria Miranda, Kelineth Pérez and Eduardo Lim Yueng of TVN Noticias.
In general terms the situation of confrontation between the government and news media is generating friction due to the desire of the government to scold the media for reporting on what are matters of a public nature and of interest to the people.
A number of journalist guilds and news media have expressed concern at statements made by the executive branch regarding a proposal or legislative bill that seeks to regulate journalists salaries, using a comparative eligibility chart an issue that had already been resolved in the country. The general consensus is that setting salary levels is a matter for each news company and therefore should not be subject to any legal requirement or special law.
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Madrid, Spain