With its history of military dictatorships and repression of the free press, Latin America has a long list of courageous journalists pursuing their work despite toughest conditions and who can publish often only at great personal risk. Small grassroots radio stations are set on fire, journalists critical of the government are fired due to pressure from politicians, humans rights activists must fear death threats. Direct and indirect interference to journalistic work is part of daily life for Latin American journalists. This applies to older ones who had to go into exile or were incarcerated during the military dictatorships of the 1970s and 80s, but also to younger journalists in modern-day Latin America - characterized by great social unrest - who report on drug wars, mercenaries and trade unions and are threatened or even murdered for doing so.

Mexico and Colombia are two that top the world list for journalist killings. Mexico has even surpassed Iraq.

A distinctive feature of the Latin American media scene involves firstly not letting itself be silenced and secondly always finding new ways to publish. When magazines are shut down, former editors regroup in blogspots. When topics are hushed on television, flyers are distributed instead. Old and new forms of media are utilized to get the word out, things are improvised. But no matter what, the story gets published.

On the other hand, undemocratic forces also use new media to their advantage, for instance Mexican drug cartels that are waging an information war with the government. They film executions and send their videos to the media or post them on YouTube, articulating threats and campaigning for terrorism. Narcocorridos, the songs of Mexican drug dealers, are viewed en masse at YouTube and broadcast daily on radio because stations are not only threatened by the narcos but also subsidized by them.

This panel will discuss the role of media (and the various opportunities they represent, such as the use of new media) in defending human rights, explore the question of whether new technologies offer more opportunities for a decentralised, non-censurable media landscape and reflect on the degree in which new media presents new channels for undemocratic forces.

 

Hosted by Deutsche Welle

  

Panelists: