Global Media News

Latin American Press Pushed To Censor Their Work

A de facto license can be used to limit the freedom of the press in Latin America Congresses and judicial systems are under the power of elected presidents and aid in the censorship of press.

Independent press in Latin America have are under major pressure to censor their work because of rules being forced on the media.

The de facto license by the government can win over money and elections, inevitably silencing the media. The government wants to control all media outlets including, newspapers, TV, radio, and print. Those who are opposed to the governmental ideas on media are certain to face jail time. Several incidents have recently happened where writers are sentence to time in jail.

The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa has gone all out in the mass raid to censor journalist work. Jaime Mantilla is a publisher who was sentenced to 3 moths in prison after defaming the presidents second cousin.

Radio-TV Martí struggle against censorship in Cuba

Radio and TV Marti is challenged with the issue of distributing it's content inside Cuba. Marti is known for it's unfiltered Cuban news and snippets of life on the island. Employees at Marti burn about 15,000 Dvds with news and other content, which are then distributed monthly. It is circulated through flash drives as a way to get around Cubas jammers for Marti television and radio signals. The information is usually reported by Cuban journalists. 

The Marti broadcast is infamously known to anger the Castro brothers who view the transmission as a "violation of international norms".  This is mostly due to the censored and tightly controlled news media in Cuba. In January, President Raul Castro called for an end to the Martis as a condition for normalizing relations within the U.S.

According to nytimes: 

“The decision about what to do should not be based on diplomatic relations but on the lack of a free flow of information into Cuba — and that has not changed,” said Carlos A. García-Pérez, the director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which is part of an independent federal agency that oversees Radio and TV Martí. “Our work is even more important now.”

Although  the Obama administration supports the Marti program they are eager to cut the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. They plan on consolidating the programs, turning them into a nonprofit organization. Supporters of the change say it would make the Martis more flexible. The current implications of the Martis broadcasting urges it to change. Reports by the inspector general for the state department have implicated Marti. They have accused the station for "a lack of balance, fairness and objectivity". 

 Mr.Garcia-Perez took over Marti hq in 2010 has attempted to diversify coverage of Cuba by building a website. Currently they are bringing in more Cubans into the conversation through video, articles, texts, blogs and social media. Michael P. Meehan, a democrat who until recently served as a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the federal agency that oversees the Martís says that still there is little danger that Marti will lose it's funding all together.

Brazilian woman beaten sparks social media uproar

On April 10, a trans gendered Brazilian woman named Veronica Bolina, was brutally beaten by Brazilian police. Evidently, Veronica had been attempting to murder her elderly neighbor when police came to arrest her. She was beaten so badly by the police that her face was apparently unrecognizable.

"Reports say police arrested the transgender woman for attempting to murder her elderly neighbor before they proceeded to badly beat her at the time of arrest."

This violent beating sparked a social media movement. The movement has been named "We are all Veronica" and Brazilians have been posting drawings of Veronica before and after the beating to make others aware of the police brutality she underwent.

"A Facebook page of the same name has even started sharing artwork inspired by Veronica´s photos before and after the attack. The most popular artwork is a black and white drawing by Vitor Teixeira."

Brazilians believe that the police force had little respect for Veronica as a woman and didn't handle the situation the way it should have been handled.

“Those photos were shocking because of the violence, and [because] the police didn’t respect her gender identity,” said Alessandra Ramos, an LGBT activist in Brazil who says she has been detained by police before. “A trans woman was not respected. That brought rage into LGBT activism.”

According to Ramos, she too has been detained by the police before. She believes the politics of the country are very disrespectful of transgendered females.

However, apparently Bolina had given an audio confession that she wasn't in fact beaten by the Brazilian police.

"Police also gave an audio confession by the transgender woman where she states that she was not tortured by cops."

Although it is unclear who was in the right or wrong in this situation, it is clear that social media plays a key role in Brazil. The people of Brazil found it important to take to social media to get this story out and show how they feel about what had happened. These pictures were posted from people around the country who felt strongly on justice for Veronica Bolina.

 

http://www.latinpost.com/articles/48875/20150421/transgender-woman-beaten-police-brazil.htm

http://fusion.net/story/122413/photo-of-trans-woman-beaten-by-police-goes-viral-in-brazil/

TV In Brazil Has A New Plan For The Future

    By the year of 2018 Analog Television will be turned off in Brazil. Genildo Lins, The Electronic Communications Secretary of Minicom is making a huge transition in Television for the country of Brazil. This transition will change from Analog Television to Digital Television.  

    "In 2016, when the country will host the Summer Olympic Games, the main state and regional capitals will make the switch, including in Brasilia (on April 3rd), Sao Paulo (May 15th), Belo Horizonte (June 26th), Goiania (August 28th) and Rio de Janeiro (November 27th)." Said by Michael Grotticelli from TV Technology.com

    When the transition begins in 2016, many consumers in Brazil are going to feel left out during the Summer Olympics. These consumers will feel left out due to not be able to afford a DTV set. A DTV set is a new monitor that is part of Digital Television. These DTV sets that are heading to the country of Brazil, will give these viewers a great opportunity to watch some great Television. 

    "The campaign forces FTA TV broadcasters to include a warning in their analog signal throughout the day which consists of the letter “A”, which will then open up to form the word Analógico (Analogue in Portuguese)," Said by Hernan Amaya from Next TV Latam.com.

    The Summer Olympics will start this huge transition from Analog to Digital. Many Brazilians may not be aware on the importance of having a DTV Set in their homes. "Digital TV makes viewer interactivity possible with applications and with other viewers.  This makes it possible to share information through a network of a program’s viewers," Said by Ed Porto from Knight Center.edu. 

    This statement by Ed gives The Brazilians an explanation on why Digital Television is coming to their country. Digital Television will provide one of the best quality for The Brazilians.  For example, since The 2016 Summer Olympics is going to be held in Brazil, many Brazilians will now watch a better equality of every event. 

    

   

Can Venezuela Media Operate With Government Threats?

Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has been restricting media's freedom of expression by making it impossible for independent publications to report critically about his government and limiting access to newsprint.  Over the next few weeks, at least five newspapers are expected to shut down because of Maduro's policies.  El Correo del Caroní, El Impulso, El Carabobeno, El Nacional and El Regional del Zulia have all announced they will be forced to stop publishing.

After former President Hugo Chávez died in 2013, his successor, Maduro, is seen to practice similar patterns of excessive government involvement in private press affairs.  His administration monitored  the opposition media by fining outlets, enforcing licensing requirements without due process rights, and excluded certain outlets from access to public information.

Under the Restore Law, CONATEL, which is Venezuela's media regulator service, has used the law to impose massive fines on private television and print media.  With 70% of media privately-owned and just under 5% state-owned, the rest are community media organizations which are mostly pro-government.

The anticipation of these newspapers closing down only makes the journalists of Venezuela that much more angry with Maduro's rule.  Editor of La Republica newspaper of Peru, Gustavo Mohme, said:

"Once more we hold President Maduro responsible for restricting the freedom of the press and the public’s right to information, by means of a special mechanism of persecution and discrimination."

The press group urged other Latin American leaders to defend press freedom and let the newspapers operate without Maduro's limitations.  Claudio Paolillo who is the head of IAPA's free press committee  (Inter American Press Associaton) stated:

“The media are closing, and with them the hopes they keep alive as democratic bastions within the country.”

Newspapers like El Correo del Caroní announced on its website that they are forced to change its format in order to prevent "official annoyance."  The pressure and harassment against the media has gotten worse as many journalists protest against Maduro's efforts, including anti-government groups attacking public TV news stations with explosives and weapons.

The newspapers closing down are doing so due to lack of supplies and newsprint.  El Nacional in Caracas says its only has enough newsprint to publish for three months.  Tal Cual reduced its print edition from six days a week to a single weekend edition and laid off most of its staff because of government lawsuits and sinking ad money.  Media workers remain hopeful for their next government to be more tolerant and to bring back their daily newspaper.

Banning Music in Mexico

    The musical genre of Narcocorridos uses sousaphones and accordions to provide a pleasant polka-like backdrop for lyrics that sensationalize the exploits of Mexican drug cartels. There has been a surge of violence against young narcocorridos singers in Mexico, resulting in many deaths and injuries. 

    There's a parallel between Narcocorridos and American Gangsta Rap, in that some say the music merely tells a story based off real life violence and crime while others say it feeds the very crime it sings about. As with all controversial music, there is an ongoing debate over whether or not the art promotes acts of gruesome violence or simply provides a narrative to illegal goings on. It's known that some corridos performers have actually accepted money from cartels to write about them, perhaps this is similar to paying for advertisement. Regardless, Mexican authorities have taken upon themselves to make Narcocorridos music illegal in certain parts of the country.

    This brings up obvious concerns of freedom of speech, but the immediate concern is to limit the distribution of the music. Promotion of the genre has been limited in Chihuaha, with any violators facing fines or jail time. Chihuahua is one of several states that is currently facing restrictions in Anti-Corrido legislation. Prohibition of free speech is a problem throughout the world, but this one seems to be in its own category. One of Mexico's biggest problems is drug-cartel-related-violence, and when shootings happen at concerts it's not just the performers whose lives re in danger. Maybe in this case, free speech can be too much of a good thing.

Cartels Target Narco Corridos Singers

 

  Norteno Corridos is a popular genre of music in Mexico. This folk-like poetic music has a history of telling stories and ballads. As drug cartels have come to power in Mexico, an offshoot genre has been created and is known as Narcocorridos; the music still tells stories and ballads, but the music is about the cartels themselves. Narcocorridos's lyrics glorify the drug cartels and their illegal activities, which often take deadly turns. 

    Rogelio Brambila Lizárraga, 22-year old member of a Narcocorridos group known as Los Plebes de Arranke (Above) was found dead in the driver side of a car in March, the victim of gunfire from at least two firearms. Javier Rosas, another narcocorridos singer is in critical condition after being shot six times during another incident in which he found himself under fire from an AK-47.

    The cartels and corridos seem to work together with one another, albeit in a very deadly manner. The songs help as a sort of publicity for drug kingpins, telling of which cartels are the most dangerous and what horrific exploits they're known for; the narcocorridos singers use a traditional Mexican art to gain a fan-base, but their gruesome lyrics maintain that popularity. It's a well known rule of entertainment that many have an attraction to the morbid, to violence, to shocking lyrics. As the death toll in narcocorridos/cartel related violence rises, perhaps these entertainers will think twice about the true price of fame.

Mexican Drug Cartel's Living Large on Social Media

    With the introduction of the internet and social media everyone seems to be active users. It isn't surprising news to hear that Mexican drug cartel's are taking advantage of the power of social media to show off and recruit new members. When a poor citizen in Mexico or anywhere in the world sees drug cartel members posting pictures of themselves living large it makes it tempting for some people to join the lifestyle. According to the BBC Country Profile for Mexico,

"Mexico is one of Latin America's biggest internet markets. There were nearly 35 million internet users by the end of 2010 - a 30% penetration rate (Internetworldstats). Facebook is the most popular social network."

    Antonio Olalde aka "Broly" who is a member of The Knights Templar is one drug cartel member who loves using social media. He posts to all social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. His posts include himself with weapons, women, people he's kidnapped, his tricked out trucks. According to NBC News,

"As the saying goes, “Better to be a prince for a year than a donkey for life." It's a proverb known by most drug cartel members, Grayson said, and social media only makes spreading that message easier."

    Drug cartels utilize cyberspace in a similar way as a TV company's public relations department would. They advertise their activities and money which essentially turns themselves into their own media company. The NY Daily News states,

"The Gulf Cartel posted YouTube footage showing convoys of its trucks, laden with humanitarian supplies, to victims of Hurricane Ingrid in northeastern Tamaulipas, where vast numbers of villages and roads were wiped out in September. It has received more than 450,000 views."

    With the drug cartels showing everything they do on social media a question comes to mind of how are they getting away with this. Many people see this a slap in the face to the government but seeing how much power the cartel's have it's easier to understand why nothing is happening.

Global Media News Webcast # 10: Thursday April 16, 2015

Listen to Global Media News for Thursday, April 16, 2015

This week on Global Media News:  Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Dubai!

• From Dubai: Is the Government Censoring News about Slavery?
• Is the Egyptian Government Putting Pressure on the Media?
• Syrian Hackers:  On the Cyber-Front in Syria
• In the Grip of the Law: Reality TV in Iraq
• Radio Al-Salam:  Iraqi radio for refugees
• Internet Censorship in Iraq
• Social Media and the \Coverage of the War in Iraq

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Major controversy on Costa Rica's Media Refrom Bill

    Costa Rica has been known for having a fairly free press status with radio being the most popular outlet. According to Freedom House, Costa Rica is ranked 19 out of 100 for their freedom score. In 2010  the Supreme Court eliminated the 1902 printing press law that imposed prison sentences for defamation. Since then the president of Costa Rica, Luis Guillermo Solis has been insisting that the Minster of Science, Technology & Telecommuications should modernize the country's media regulations which have been in place for 50 years. On Tuesday April 7, 2015 both the Preisdent of the MICITT (Gisella Kopper) and Vice-President (Allan Ruiz) had to face the press over the controversy of the draft bill, that was sent to congress.

    The bill was intended to regulate the press in Costa Rica, it outlines possible fines up$226,700 and the cancellation of license for those media outlets that have spread information that goes against "good manners or "threatens the honor or integrity" of those mentioned. In Article 68 of the bill it also states media firms that transmit "false or alarming news without foundation" will be punished.

    Some people of Costa Rica aren't happy with the bill, even some Civil Society Groups are referring to it as "gag law". They feel the government is trying to control their freedom of expression and control what content  media outlets could put out. One person to speak out was Claudio Paolillo, president of the Committee on Freedom of the Press for the Inter American Press Association. According to the Panama Post, he commented on the document saying ...

"Who has the formula for measuring the values and the kind of information the general population ought to receive? They’re seeking to measure and quantify the freedom of the press. The government’s intention is to be the arbiter of content, and this is very dangerous for the historic defense of freedom of expression that has characterized Costa Rica"

    Vice Minister Allan Ruiz of the MICITT says that they are not trying to restrict freedom. In the final version, the bill won't mention restricting content in any way. He just wants to make sure the media outlets won't make inefficient use of the radio spectrum.

   The MICITT seems to have good intentions, but havent spent the time putting together the bill. They need to make sure the law is worded in a way to allow people to voice their opinion freely on the radio and television. Not having to worry about being fined for speaking how they feel whether it's in "good manner" or not.