How Bolivia’s vice president used media to control his image–and that of the government
Álvaro García Linera’s savvy use of the media helped him make the leap from Marxist guerrilla to vice president of Bolivia. But critics contend that as the country’s second-highest elected official, García Linera is now using his substantial power to manipulate and control the Bolivian news media.
Eight days in Hong Kong: Laura Poitras on documenting Snowden for ‘Citizenfour’
The world premiere of Laura Poitras’s highly anticipated documentary “CITIZENFOUR” at the New York Film Festival occurred with the appropriate amount of intrigue for a film about last year’s dramatic revelations of the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. The press and premiere screenings were clocked to begin simultaneously on Friday so no breaking news could…
Duvalier’s death must not mean end of proceedings against dictatorship
The sudden death on October 4 of former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier and the initial information that he would be honored with a state funeral stunned the victims who had filed suit against Duvalier for massive violations of human rights during his regime. It also created an unexpected ripple effect in the press and the social…
One year after CPJ’s US report, little has changed between Obama and press
After a summer plagued by war and disease abroad and partisan fighting at home, it was not hard to fathom why President Barack Obama would yearn for a retreat. But from which of the mounting crises did the president hope to escape: Ukraine? Islamic State? Ebola? The Tea Party? None of the above, according to…
Bolivia’s president and state-run TV skip presidential election debate
President Evo Morales wasn’t the only no show at Bolivia’s lone presidential debate in the run-up to this Sunday’s election. State-run Bolivia TV, which has provided live coverage of every presidential debate since the late 1980s, also ignored the September 28 candidate forum.
Holder resignation presents U.S. with opportunity for reform
Last week’s announcement by Eric Holder that he will resign as Attorney General marks what will hopefully be the beginning of the end of a perplexingly dark period for press freedom in the U.S. As Holder seeks to solidify his legacy, in part based on important civil rights reforms that he helped realize, the aggression…
Journalist investigates Bolivia’s ‘silent campaign’ for editorial control
At a bizarre news conference in April, Bolivia’s Communications Minister Amanda Dávila claimed that journalist Raúl Peñaranda, who was born in Chile, represented a dangerous “beachhead” for Chilean interests trying to deny landlocked Bolivia access to the Pacific.
Governor ‘cloned’ Cancún magazine to create fake covers with positive stories
The Cancún-based investigative magazine Luces del Siglo has won a court decision ordering the Quintana Roo state government to stop “cloning” the covers of its weekly editions and spreading the fake versions via social networks, according to news reports.
Open government is unsustainable without a free press
This week, as he takes office as lead chair of the Open Government Partnership, Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto will reaffirm the commitment of the more than 60 countries that make up this multilateral initiative, which seeks to enhance governance, promote citizen participation, and improve governments’ accountability to citizens.
