Is Argentina on par with USA regarding Freedom of press?

henryb

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I always thought that Argentina is one of the worst countries regarding the Freedom of press. The government puts systematic pressure on two major newspapers and companies that own them. Recent law that declares newsprint production a matter of "public interest" is designed to take control over Papel Prensa - the only company that makes paper etc, etc.

Guess what? Argentina is at 48th place in Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders. It directly follows the United States, that is on 47th place and has the same score, so two counties virtually tied for the same place. Huge drop of USA in the index this year is attributed to how journalists covering the Occupy protest movements were treated.

Do you think it is a fair assessment?
 
not even remotely. Argetntina , and a good part of the chavista axis of evil have instituted deplorable press freedoms policies . I never in my life saw any US administration that would put up signs with the pictures of journalists with WANTED , or GUILTY on them , encouraging harassment and bold faced antagonism. If that ever happened in the states , i think it woud go up in flames rather quickly.
That is not to say that the Nixon administration didnt harass journalists , but they did it undercover , BECAUSE of the controversy it would generate.
 
Not familiar enough with the press situation here to comment, but who cares who has control of paper...newspapers in the paper form are a thing of the past.

You have to remember that with the exception of NPR, PBS, and maybe some other small outlets the primary concern of media companies in the United States is to generate the largest profit possible to return to their board and stock holders. Of course these corporations are going to be hostile towards a social movement that demands less preferential treatment of big business. I don't think the US gov't itself threatened the reporters but rather it was corporations interested in maintaining the status quo.
 
Cant agree with hidden propaganda. I do criticize the press' motivation to "fall in line" as happened with the invasion of iraq.
Industries exert their power on the press via patronizing its adverisements or not.
The worse criticism i have ever heard were from Rush limbagh type xenophobic republicans expousing the evils of " The liberal Media"
 
It depends what you mean by "freedom of the press." The press here are pretty free despite the government controls and confrontations. The media say and print what they want... often with misinformation. I would be more concerned about journalistic integrity than lack of freedom. :rolleyes:

As for the States, I'm not sure how journalists were treated at Occupy. Every station and newspaper was covering it and while certain law enforcement agencies weren't friendly towards the protestors, I'd say that was more of an issue of freedom of speech than an issue with the press.

I suppose when it comes down to it, I don't find mainstream media neither here nor in the States to be too valuable. They often have an agenda of their own, which either coincides or is against the government, not really for the best interests of the people or for true balanced information. I trust Clarin about as much as I trust 6-7-8, which is not much at all. :p
 
not freedom of press? then how are we able to read clarin and watch tnt?
 
THE censureship and control of the media in the usa is just as strong as in argentina...the diference it is a bit more open in argentina....except when big things occur in the us and then watch out.. does anyone care to remember how anyone trying to talk about how the us govt abused 911 to force all sort of stupid measures in the states were censured...The difference in the states is the govt actively uses network news for their own agenda...(like any govt in power since the begining of communication) and just blankets one with one side of the issue...FOX for example....can anyone really call their news an unbiased report of the facts or more a political and monetary self serving agenda having very little to do with the news and the facts. Listen to the bbc and then the french news then fox on the same story and perhaps between the three one will have a chance of having a lot of the true story
 
bebero said:
not freedom of press? then how are we able to read clarin and watch tnt?

if you control to a point what is put on what is the difference where you watch it
 
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