Although all activities and disciplines have suffered the devastation of the pandemic, now that this difficult year is coming to an end, I want to emphasize the immeasurable value that independent journalism brings to citizenship and democracy in traumatic and difficult times.
The media and professional journalism may not have done things different from the usual ones, such as seeking the truth, overseeing public and private powers, generating public conversation on crucial issues, and defending the right to freedom of expression. However, the pandemic has boosted these contributions, with an audience that turned massively to the media in search of quality and reliable information.
Despite this reunion between citizens and the media, journalistic companies suffered with all their rigor from the onslaught of Covid-19, especially because the deflated economy drastically reduced advertising revenue. Many local media, medium and small, disappeared, leaving entire communities orphaned, now more vulnerable to injustice and corruption.
Other means had to be intimidated to face the crisis, weakening content and its future. And almost everyone had to rush to invest in the change of business model to finish embracing the digital transformation, acquiring debts with which they commit their present.
This dichotomy, between the value of the media in a democracy and its struggle not to disappear, is one of our priorities. A democratic society is preyed upon by its strong and independent civic institutions and by a robust and controlling press.
Faced with this dilemma, we believe that states must continue to provide incentives and solutions to all sectors of the economy, including the press, which in many countries has been relegated as an industry, to allow them to continue to strengthen society. in the midst of adversity. In July and October we sent a letter to all the governments of the Americas, saying, ‘In times of crisis and emergency, independent journalism and professional media are essential for free nations. Ensuring its viability and permanence is a responsibility of democratic societies’.
In this regard, we reiterate our satisfaction to President Iván Duc of Colombia, for being the first American government to include a stimulus package in its budget law – already approved for 2021 – which contains an item of more than 20 millions of dollars to encourage digital transformation, strengthening and economic reactivation of the media. We also reiterate our appreciation to the Radical Change Party of Colombia, which, in understanding the serious situation facing the media, has presented to the National Congress a law that includes loans, economic and tax incentives with special consideration to the media regionals. We understand that the Liberal Party, among others, has already welcomed this initiative which would be approved in the next parliamentary term. We are convinced that these initiatives of the executive and legislative powers of Colombia, with inclination to technical, objective and control and transparency measures, and respecting editorial independence, could be infected and adopted by other governments in the region that also value the preponderant role that professional and independent journalism have for democratic life. We believe that it is also substantial to bring this dialogue closer to multilateral organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank and the Andean Development Corporation, among others, as well as organizations that defend democracy and freedom of expression, such as the ‘Organization of American States and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and its Special Report on Freedom of Expression. Nor do we want to leave out foundations, non-governmental institutions, and private enterprise, knowing that freedom of the press, the independent press, and democracy are universal rights and duties, as well as mandates, embedded in almost every American constitution. 2021 will have the inertia of this year of pandemic. The negative effects will continue or, in many cases, worsen. As societies we have a responsibility to uphold and strengthen democratic values. From the IAPA we will continue to support journalism and our partners with initiatives to support digital development projects, convinced that the sustainability and strength of the media is an indispensable requirement to maintain the right of the public to be informed. And as always, out of affection for democratic values, we will maintain our iron struggle for the validity of the freedom of the press and expression to which the declarations of Chapultepec and Salta commit us. The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It is composed of more than 1,300 publications from the Western Hemisphere; and is headquartered in Miami, Florida, United States.