WHEREAS press freedom in the Americas faced a troubling landscape this past semester, marked by violence, threats, digital harassment, stigmatization by those in power, restrictions on access to information, judicial and legislative pressure, violations of source protection, and growing challenges to media sustainability
WHEREAS violence remains one of the main threats to journalists, particularly in countries where criminal or armed groups operate and impunity persists, while in others, pressure on the press has taken structural forms of censorship, persecution, and control over the information landscape
WHEREAS discrediting attacks and stigmatization campaigns, including those originating from political leaders, as well as digital harassment and disinformation, seek to discredit and inhibit journalistic work and can lead to self-censorship and a chilling effect on critical reporting
WHEREAS restrictions on access to public information, the use of judicial and legislative mechanisms against journalists and media outlets, and threats to source protection undermine transparency, accountability, and the public’s right to be informed
WHEREAS certain regulations and legislative provisions can undermine media pluralism and be used as instruments of censorship or pressure, while the discretionary allocation of government advertising can compromise editorial independence and media sustainability
WHEREAS, despite these threats, the period saw judicial and institutional decisions in support of freedom of expression in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, as well as remarkable resilience among independent journalists and media outlets in countries such as Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela
WHEREAS the preamble to the Declaration of Chapultepec establishes that only through free expression, the circulation of ideas, and unrestricted access to information can a free society be sustained and progress made toward solving major collective challenges.
THE 82nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
Condemn the killings, disappearances, threats, assaults, and other acts of violence against journalists and media outlets, and demand independent and effective investigations to identify and punish those responsible and combat impunity
Urge governments and public authorities to refrain from stigmatizing, discrediting, or intimidating journalists and media outlets, and to ensure that their investigations, criticism, and reporting of wrongdoing are not met with reprisals
Demand effective guarantees for timely access to public information, transparency, and accountability, without arbitrary restrictions that obstruct journalistic work
Reject the use of judicial, administrative, or legislative mechanisms to criminalize or intimidate journalists and media outlets or to create a chilling effect on their work, and unequivocally defend the protection of journalistic sources
Raise concerns about regulations that, under legitimate justifications such as combating disinformation or regulating content, may become instruments of censorship, undermine pluralism, or unduly restrict the press’s watchdog role
Urge states to ensure that government advertising is allocated transparently, objectively, and without discrimination, preventing public funds from being used to condition editorial independence
Recognize the judicial and institutional decisions issued during the period that protected freedom of expression and the practice of journalism, and urge states to ensure their effective implementation
Recognize the resilience of independent journalists and media outlets that continue their work despite violence, persecution, exile, censorship, blockages, and economic hardship
Reaffirm IAPA’s commitment to a free, independent, and pluralistic press and to the principle that no public authority, criminal group, or political or economic actor may silence journalists or dictate what information the public should be allowed to know.
