Paper mill shortages a form of censorship

At the end of 1994, 17 of Romania’s major publications announced to their readers that they may shut down. The state-owned Letea paper mill is the only supplier of newsprint in the country. It announced that it will halt production for a few months due to raw materials shortages. The editors and publishers of the […]

At the end of 1994, 17 of Romania’s major publications announced
to their readers that they may shut down. The state-owned Letea
paper mill is the only supplier of newsprint in the country. It
announced that it will halt production for a few months due to
raw materials shortages. The editors and publishers of the
threatened publications, speaking on behalf of the entire
Romanian press, requested that the government, which has a
virtual monopoly on the paper industry, make urgent arrangements
to supply the raw materials necessary for continuous delivery of
paper.

But, despite some temporary solutions, the problem persists. On
19 January 1995, the daily “Ziua” had to suspend its printing for
the second time in a month because the Letea paper mill refused
to deliver the necessary amount of newsprint. The editors of
“Ziua” say that their publication does not owe money to the
supplier, and they suspect political reasons for withholding the
delivery.
Many local publishers and economists have told CPJ that the
actual crisis is the direct result of the state monopoly on paper
production. Each pound of raw material shortage cuts directly
into the number of pages Romanian newspapers can print every day.
Romanian newspaper publishers have repeatedly asked that the
state’s monopoly on paper manufacturing be put to an end.

Recommended Action

D-lui Nicolae Vacaroiu

Prime Minister

Office of the Prime Minister

Str. Academici 34

Bucuresti, Romania

Fax: + (40 1) 59 20 18/312 0770