WHEREAS
the acts of official harassment of the news media also put their sustainability at risk by encumbering their supplies, and in this regard there should be mentioned the government action against Papel Prensa, the leading producer of newsprint in Argentina which supplies 95% of the countrys newspapers
WHEREAS
this official strategy brings with it the risk that the government is looking to have official control over the provision of an item of basic supplies for the press, as that objective has been revealed publicly and in the courts by officials who were then dismissed for not obeying requirements of the official plan
WHEREAS
the danger of putting obstacles to the companys operations has been made clear in a series of administrative acts and resolutions that seek to complicate its functioning, interfere in its commercial policies and take legal action against it
along the same lines, representatives of the government and the administration have launched a campaign of discredit, which the company has duly rebutted, and this strategy has been complemented by a series of collateral actions, such as violent raids by officials on the company offices or the filing of criminal charges which have been swiftly thrown out
WHEREAS
principle 5 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states Prior censorship, restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports, forced publication of information, the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly contradict freedom of the press
THE IAPA MIDYEAR MEETING RESOLVES
to draw attention to repeated administrative measures that have been recently adopted tending to disrupt the normal functioning of the Papel Prensa company
to urge the various government departments to put an end to the systematic plan of harassment of this company, which supplies more than 95% of Argentine newspapers
to ensure that the policy is maintained of unfettered provision of newsprint which has existed in Argentina for many years now, taking into account that these supplies, vital for the production of newspapers, can never be regarded as an means of putting pressure on the free practice of journalism.
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Madrid, Spain