New York, June 20, 2002—In a letter sent today to Mario Dupuy, Haiti’s Secretary of State for Communications, the Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concerns about the government’s plan to develop a legally enforceable code of ethics for the press.
In the letter, CPJ asked for more details about the proposed legislation and suggested opening a dialogue to ensure that any law passed does not restrict press freedom in the country.
Although CPJ recognizes that the media must carry out their work consistent with ethical principles, as a nonpartisan organization of journalists dedicated to defending press freedom worldwide, CPJ believes that no government should impose standards of conduct on the media because such policies open the door to censorship.
