WHEREAS hostile and stigmatizing rhetoric from political power against critical media and journalists continues, creating a climate of polarization
WHEREAS hostile and stigmatizing rhetoric from political power against critical media and journalists continues, creating a climate of polarization
WHEREAS President Donald Trump and officials of his government have made public statements about attempting to use broadcasting licenses, press credentials, or the visa program as mechanisms of pressure and censorship against critical media and journalists
WHEREAS judicialization and intimidating defamation lawsuits are being used, often with disproportionate and abusive amounts, becoming tools of indirect censorship to restrict criticism
WHEREAS freedom of expression and of the press are fundamental pillars of any democracy and are protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution
WHEREAS the Declaration of Chapultepec in Principles 5 and 6, and Principle 7, establishes: “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”
WHEREAS the Declaration of Salta II on Principles of Freedom of Expression in the Digital Age establishes in its third principle: “Governments should not inhibit, through regulation or action, access to the Internet and expressions of public interest in the digital space; nor should they impose aggravated sanctions against self-expression in that space nor penalize criticism, information, or protest against public officials or individuals who voluntarily expose themselves to public scrutiny on matters of public interest. In civil claims, it must be proven that there was actual malice, and disproportionate lawsuits (SLAPP or strategic lawsuits against public participation) that may generate self-censorship or costs that compromise the sustainability of the media should be discouraged.”
THE 81st GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
To express growing concern about the threats faced by journalists and media outlets in exercising their rights to freedom of expression and of the press
To denounce the official narrative that stigmatizes and portrays the press as an “enemy” or “threat,” which fosters a climate of hostility and risk for journalists, media outlets, and those who exercise their right to express opinions and ideas different from those in power
To urge that broadcasting licenses, press credentials, or the visa program for foreign correspondents not be used as tools of political reprisal, and to condemn any attempt to condition these permits on a media outlet’s editorial stance
To condemn the abusive use of multimillion-dollar defamation lawsuits as a mechanism of intimidation against political or journalistic criticism
To call for the promotion of federal legislation to limit the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs)
To urge the United States to reaffirm its commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, among other international standards on freedom of expression, in accordance with its democratic tradition.
