WHEREAS various governments, government institutions, and state-owned companies in the hemisphere use their advertising as a tool to reward or punish the media, disregarding any technical or cost-efficiency criteria in the use of public funds
WHEREAS similar criteria lacking any objective basis are sometimes used to extend loans or other financial or administrative benefits WHEREAS the funds thus mismanaged belongs to the people
WHEREAS these discriminatory practices are in many cases a governmental response to complaints or reports of corruption
WHEREAS Principle 6 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states that "the media and journalists should neither be discriminated against nor favored because of what they write or say"
WHEREAS Principle 7 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states that "the granting or withdrawal of government advertising may not be used to reward or punish the media or individual journalists."
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to
To reiterate its condemnation and repudiation of any discriminatory use of government advertising that lacks an objective basis, as well as other financial and administrative measures that may be used as a tool to reward or punish the media and influence their editorial decisions and reporting
to persistently denounce such practices as grave attacks on press freedom and as acts of corruption, since public funds are inappropriately used to benefit the private interests of those temporarily administering such funds
to condemn media outlets and journalists who benefit from these improper and unlawful practices, and who go so far as to be complicit in such corrupt practices
to call on all governments in the hemisphere to eradicate these unlawful practices and punish those responsible for such actions.
