(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 29 October 2005 CPJ press release: Untold Stories Special report: Attacked by all sides, Colombia’s press censors itself Bogotá, Colombia, October 29, 2005 – Self-censorship is rampant in Colombia, seriously inhibiting coverage of the armed conflict, human rights abuses, organized crime, and corruption, the Committee to Protect Journalists has […]
(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 29 October 2005 CPJ press release:
Untold Stories
Special report: Attacked by all sides, Colombia’s press censors itself
Bogotá, Colombia, October 29, 2005 – Self-censorship is rampant in Colombia, seriously inhibiting coverage of the armed conflict, human rights abuses, organized crime, and corruption, the Committee to Protect Journalists has found in an investigative report released today.
In CPJ’s report, “Untold Stories,” Bogotá-based journalist Chip Mitchell describes the experiences of dozens of journalists whom he interviewed during a series of reporting trips throughout the country’s most strife-ridden areas.
The report was released today in Bogotá at a panel discussion. Four of the journalists quoted in the report were scheduled to give detailed presentations on the risks and ramifications of reporting in Colombia.
“On some occasions, verified news is suppressed in Colombia,” Mitchell wrote in his report for CPJ. “In other cases, probing journalists are killed, detained, or forced to flee. More often, investigations never get started. The issues shortchanged are human rights abuses, armed conflict, political corruption, drug trafficking, and the links from officials to illegal armed groups.”
The report cited threats to journalists from all of the country’s armed groups, including leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitaries. While the government “exerts little formal control over news content” the administration of President Álvaro Uribe has contributed to the climate of fear by accusing journalists of having ties to the guerrillas, failing to investigate abuses, and pressuring media outlets not to air controversial stories.
An accompanying story looks at economic pressure on media outlets and the ties between media owners and government officials. A print and radio journalist, Mitchell is a correspondent for “The World,” a radio program produced by the BBC, PRI and WGBH-Boston.
“The extent and impact of self-censorship in Colombia has been an area of debate for some time,” said CPJ Deputy Director Joel Simon, moderator of today’s panel discussion, “This report makes clear that the problem is extremely widespread, and key issues are not being covered. It’s outrageous that armed groups target journalists who are trying to do their jobs, but the government has also failed in its responsibility to investigate abuses and safeguard press freedom.”
The discussion, which took place at the Hotel Dann in downtown Bogotá, was co-sponsored by the Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP), a Colombian press freedom group. Carlos Cortés, FLIP’s Executive Director, and María Teresa Ronderos, the group’s president, were also scheduled to speak.
During his stay in Bogotá, Joel Simon met with prominent Colombian journalists and local authorities, including Vice President Francisco Santos, to discuss steps the government can take to better enable local journalists to work without fear.
To read “Untold Stories,” CPJ’s special report: http://www.cpj.org/Briefings/2005/DA_fall05/colombia/colombia_DA_fall_05.html
CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom around the world.
