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Monday, May 31, 2004
Paraguay: Journalists denounce corruption in profession
From the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas: Last week, we posted a piece by Claude-Jean Bertrand about black Africa's free press. Bertrand argued that newspapers in wealthy nations should "adopt" African papers and help foster quality journalism on the continent - which could in turn lead to fewer famines and political upheavals in developing countries. Remember what economist Amartya Sen said on World Press Freedom Day - famines and free presses never coexist. Now, news from Paraguay reminds us that a free press is hindered not just by explicit government crackdowns, jailings and violence, but also by economic factors. According to the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, "(Paraguayan) journalists named the government and organized crime as main sources of pressure. Participants said the criminals offer reporters 'presents' to persuade them not to publish information, the newspapers reported. And many journalists work simultaneously for government institutions, due in part to low salaries, they said."
So this week then, both the Paraguayan and the American press had something to apologize for. After reading about the challenges faced by journalists in Paraguay and watching the American press beat itself up over self-inflicted lax reporting on Bush's weapons of mass destruction claims, it's difficult not to be frustrated. But I think the soul-searching going on at the New York Times is reminding the American journalism community to take advantage of its precious ability to question and criticize the powerful. It's an economic and political right not every journalism has.
Source: The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas
Posted by Dana Goldstein on May 31, 2004 at 02:08 PM in i. Future of print, m. Improving editorial quality, o. Ethics and Press Freedom | Permalink
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