EUROPEAN AND LATIN AMERICAN PUBLISHERS CONDEMN PRESSURES AND PROPOSE WORKING TOGETHER
With the support of The Diplomat In Spain
The VII Congress of Editors of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean (EditoRed), concluded in Brussels with a declaration in which they condemned political pressures against journalists and assured that they will denounce any attempt of coercion against journalists, wherever in the world it takes place.
The Congress, which brought together fifty representatives of European and Latin American media, in sessions held in Madrid and Brussels from March 18 to 21, 2024, was held under the theme: “The quality of information and the credibility of the media, guarantees for democracy”.
In a final declaration, the editors underline their unrestricted commitment to freedom of information as a fundamental pillar of democracy and urge to protect and promote freedom of expression and the independence of the media in all circumstances.
“Political pressure and threats represent significant challenges that must be fought unconditionally, at all times, in all places and under all circumstances,” they affirm, while expressing their support for those journalists in whose countries political conditions do not allow them to fully exercise their journalistic work.
The declaration expresses its concern for the “enormous difficulties for the free exercise of journalism”, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and denounces the conditions in which information professionals work in the Gaza Strip, “which has meant -it recalls- a high number of journalists killed and wounded, in the exercise of their work, essential for international public opinion to know the reality of the conflict”.
Likewise, the editors reject the attacks on freedom of expression and the right to information that are taking place on the part of the public authorities in different states of the European Union and Latin America and point out, in particular, the cases experienced in Nicaragua, Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba and Hungary, at the same time as they note that these difficulties to exercise free journalism have begun to dissipate in Poland, as a result of the political change that has taken place in the country. They also denounce the growing threat to the profession posed by the drug phenomenon, which has had a particular impact this year in Ecuador.
EditoRed is committed to disseminating the journalistic work of professionals in their countries who may see their freedom in the exercise of their work conditioned, and assures that it will denounce all attempts at coercion and persecution of journalists “wherever it occurs and whoever causes it”.
TECHNOLOGY
The declaration also addresses some specific aspects that affect the right to information, such as, for example, the financial difficulties arising from the digital transformation or the irruption of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Thus, publishers are calling for legal protection from States and international bodies “to make investments profitable, ensure respect and legal income for workers, and independence”.
And as for Artificial Intelligence, after alluding to the recent law passed in the European Union, they warn that there has been “a serious regulatory negligence”. Specifically, they explain that “although digital news publishers represent the essential prerequisite for the input of verified AI training content, the European regulator has left them out of the value chain generated by AI systems.” “If such legal dysfunction is not corrected,” they warn, “AI systems trained on unreliable digital content will amplify the spread of misinformation.
The publishers point to six key requirements to be able to sustain a diverse European and Latin American media landscape: a clear commitment to copyright, up-to-date content protection, enforceable retribution, reversal of the burden of proof and transparency obligations, (at the European level) enforceability of European copyright law, and opt-out in text and data mining.
ETHICS, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY
The statement also addresses ethics and responsibility in journalism and disinformation and fake news and states: “Editors should commit to standards of excellence in fact-checking, fairness in news reporting and transparency in correcting errors, in order to counteract the proliferation of disinformation and fake news.
The editors also state that they seek to ensure that the news they disseminate accurately and fairly reflects the diversity of their audiences and communities and are committed to amplifying and promoting the diversity of voices in the media, including the representation of ethnic, cultural, linguistic and social minorities.
They also commit to “develop efforts to listen to the audience, understand their new information needs, know and use in a journalistic manner the narrative forms closest to them and link with the community in projects that seek to provide solutions to the problems that are relevant to them”.
PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS
The statement stresses the importance of ensuring the safety of journalists in conflict zones and high-risk environments. “We call on the authorities, journalistic companies and professional organizations to adopt concrete measures to ensure the safe exercise of journalistic work and to investigate and punish attacks and threats to communicators,” it reads.
On the other hand, the declaration considers it necessary to collaborate to report accurately and responsibly on humanitarian crises, forced displacements and situations of vulnerability, and is committed to favoring media content initiatives that promote media literacy, access to education and the construction of fairer and more inclusive societies.
The declaration concludes by pointing out that it is essential to promote editorial collaboration, the exchange of resources and the amplification of diverse voices in the information field. “The creation of support and cooperation networks among the media, such as EditoRed, strengthens the capacity of editors to face common challenges and fosters mutual enrichment through regional and global perspectives,” it states.
THE CONGRESS
The VII Congress of Media Publishers of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean is an event organized by Grupo Prestomedia with the support of EditoRed, the European Commission and the European Parliament, Telefónica, Iberia and the Community of Madrid, as well as the collaboration of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Turismo de Galicia and Casa de América, and with Prensamedia as editorial partner.
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