(IPYS/IFEX) – Following a proposal submitted by Member of Parliament (MP) for the governing party Juan Barreto, who is also vice-president of the Science and Technology Commission, the Venezuelan National Assembly will debate a law that would regulate the exercise of the journalistic profession. The proposed legislation, known as the law regulating ethics for social […]
(IPYS/IFEX) – Following a proposal submitted by Member of Parliament (MP) for the governing party Juan Barreto, who is also vice-president of the Science and Technology Commission, the Venezuelan National Assembly will debate a law that would regulate the exercise of the journalistic profession.
The proposed legislation, known as the law regulating ethics for social communication media professionals, is in addition to the law regulating radio and television programming, which was announced during the third week of March 2001 (see previous IFEX alert of 4 April 2001).
The proposal was presented by Barreto, MP for the party Movement Fifth Republic (Movimiento V República, MVR), who at the same time recognised that there is ongoing confrontation between the media and the national government.
The majority of parliamentarians, who are members of the Commission where the controversial law was presented, seemed to agree with the proposal. They decided that Barreto would present a first draft of the legislation during the first week of April.
Barreto noted that, to this effect, an attempt would be made to try to invite editors, journalists and media owners to hear the version of those who own the media “so that dialogue can be initiated and conflict with the media can be reduced.”
Nevertheless, in their editions of the first weekend in April, the main Caracas newspapers, such as “El Universal” – which celebrated ninety-two years in existence on 1 April – “El Nacional” and the evening newspaper “Tal Cual” commented in their editorials on what they consider the government’s ambiguous approach towards their communications role.
