IAPA to review state of press freedom at its General Assembly in Mexico
It will give special attention to violence against journalists
MIAMI, Florida (October 4, 2016)—The General Assembly of the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) to be held October 13-17 in Mexico City will be paying special attention to the issue of attacks on journalists and how to ensure their safety while they carry out their work.
Denunciations of the risks facing members of the press in some countries of the Americas include threats, physical attacks, lawsuits, among other violations of the practice of journalism. Murders – 20 so far this year – continue to be a serious problem yet to be resolved in the region.
The 72nd General Assembly's program includes a special panel discussion on October 14 on impunity and violence that will explore what actions and commitments are needed to put an end to these serious threats in Mexico, where since 2000 114 journalists have been murdered. This country is considered to be one of the most dangerous places to work as a journalist.
The panel discussion will have the participation of representatives of Mexico's National Human Rights Commission, Edgar Corzo Sosa, and of several Mexican media – Javier Horacio Contreras Orozco, El Heraldo of Chihuahua; Victor Murguía Velasco, Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico City, and David Aponte, El Universal, Mexico City.
According to statistics compiled by the IAPA since its Midyear Meeting in April this year in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, 12 journalists have been killed – seven in Mexico, three in Brazil and one each in Guatemala and the United States. Added to these crimes are eight that occurred between January and April this year in Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela and El Salvador.
Within the framework of the General Assembly, which has as its main objective the evaluation of the state of press freedom in the countries of the Americas, there have also been organized panel discussions on other issues facing journalists and the news industry.
For more details go to the program of the 72nd General Assembly which will be held at Mexico City's Hilton Reforma Hotel.
The IAPA is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and of expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 print publications from throughout the Western Hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida. For more information please go to http://www.sipiapa.org.
