The price of silence: the growing threat of soft censorship in Latin America
Buenos Aires; New York:
Asociación por los Derechos Civiles (ADC); Open Society Institute
(2008), 179 pp.
ISBN 978-1-891385-83-4
Other Editions: also published in Spanish
"The Price of Silence exposes a growing trend across several countries in Latin America: behind-the-scenes government interference with media freedom and editorial independence. This “soft censorship” and its pervasive chilling effects have not received the attention they deserve. By conducting systematic monitoring of such practices in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, and Uruguay, the report seeks to fill the information gap and reveal the danger soft censorship poses to journalistic freedom and independence. The report reveals how governments in the countries examined abuse the powers of regulation and the public purse to control the press with little scrutiny: they use government advertising to punish critics and reward friendly media; deny access and information to journalists perceived as “critical”; secretly pressure media owners and editors to change their editorial lines; and grant broadcast licenses in ways that benefit political allies and silence independent voices." (Back cover)
Contents
1 Executive Summary and Summary of Recommendations, 7
2 Introduction, 21
3 Regional and International Standards, 27
4 Government Advertising-Related Abuses, 31
5 Other Forms of Soft Censorship, 67
6 The Pernicious Effects of Soft Censorship, 83
7 Reforming Government Advertising Laws and Practices, 87
8 Access to Information and Transparency Issues, 103
9 Recommendations, 105
10 Appendices
Appendix A: Country Background, 111
Appendix B: Legal Frameworks and Practices in the Surveyed Countries, 117
Appendix C: Examples of Transparency Failure in Surveyed Countries, 133
2 Introduction, 21
3 Regional and International Standards, 27
4 Government Advertising-Related Abuses, 31
5 Other Forms of Soft Censorship, 67
6 The Pernicious Effects of Soft Censorship, 83
7 Reforming Government Advertising Laws and Practices, 87
8 Access to Information and Transparency Issues, 103
9 Recommendations, 105
10 Appendices
Appendix A: Country Background, 111
Appendix B: Legal Frameworks and Practices in the Surveyed Countries, 117
Appendix C: Examples of Transparency Failure in Surveyed Countries, 133
