Licensing of Journalists and Degree Requirement
LICENSING OF JOURNALISTS AND DEGREE REQUIREMENT
WHEREAS
obligatory membership in a colegio and/or requirement for a journalism school degree violates the principle of freedom of the press and restricts the independence of journalists
the Constitutional Chamber of the Costa Rican Supreme Court - as has occurred in the Dominican Republic - ruled that licensing of journalists is unconstitutional and that the licensing law is in violation of the American Convention of Human Rights as well as the national constitution
the Regional Labor Court of the State of Para, Brazil, declared unconstitutional a requirement that only university graduates may work as journalists a number of countries in the hemisphere still have laws under which the obligation to belong to a
colegio or possess a university degree means there is press freedom only for colegio members or university graduates
the Chamber of Deputies of Chile has approved on first reading a bill that contains a measure establishing preferential rights for specific university graduates to practice journalism, which would amount to a major retreat for freedom of expression
he Venezuelan Press Bloc asked the Supreme Court of Venezuela to declare the press law, which includes licensing of journalists, unconstitutional
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
to express its satisfaction with the unanimous decision of the Costa Rican Supreme Court on May 9, 1995, that struck down Article 22 of the Journalists' Colegio Statute which established licensing of journalists to declare its pleasure at the ruling by the Regional Labor Court of the State of Para, Brazil to urge the governments of all the countries of the hemisphere to guarantee their citizens the most full and broad freedom of thought and expression in accordance with the Declaration on the Rights of Man and the American Convention on Human Rights, which imply that such laws should be struck down and that all proposals to establish prior requirements for the practice of journalism should be rejected, together with any stratagems based on that notion to declare its conviction that any action not in accordance with the Declaration on the Rights of Man and the American Convention on Human Rights contradicts the idea that all citizens have the right to express themselves freely and fearlessly.
