NICARAGUA

NICARAGUA WHEREAS the Nicaraguan government has used state advertising to reward news organizations aligned with its political interests and curtails the placement of its advertising in media critical of its administration government advertising should be professionally allocated in accordance with a news organization's circulation or audience share, since the advertising is paid for by taxpayers Principle 6 of the Declaration of Chapultepec stipulates that the media and journalists should not be favored or discriminated against because of what they write or say Principle 7 says tariff and exchange policies, licenses for the importation of paper or news-gathering equipment, the assigning of radio and television frequencies and the granting or withdrawal of government advertising may not be used to reward or punish the media or individual journalists the National Assembly is considering a bill to make licensing of journalists obligatory Principle 8 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says that the membership of journalists in guilds, their affiliation to professional and trade associations and the affiliation of the media with business groups must be strictly voluntary THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to condemn government discrimination in the placement of advertising, using this resource to favor its supporters and punish its critics to urge the president of the National Assembly of Nicaragua that this body not approve mandatory licensing of journalists. to condemn the discriminatory use of policies on taxing the importation of news-gathering equipment and the use of tax rules to pressure news organizations that criticize the government's actions.