RSF met with IACHR Special Rapporteur Pedro Vaca in Brazil, urging government action to regulate digital platforms, enhance journalist protection, and promote media diversity. The organization stressed the importance of addressing disinformation, improving funding for protection programs, and reactivating the National Observatory on Violence Against Journalists to combat threats to press freedom. A report detailing these challenges was submitted to the IACHR, with expected recommendations in the coming months.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) recently engaged with Pedro Vaca, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, during his visit to Brazil. RSF advocated for the Brazilian government to implement regulations for digital platforms, bolster protections for journalists, and enhance media diversity in Vaca’s forthcoming report, emphasizing the need for immediate action on these issues.
During the visit from February 9 to 14, Vaca consulted with governmental and civil society representatives to review the status of press freedoms in Brazil. RSF presented three primary recommendations to address escalating threats to journalism in the nation, stressing the urgency of these objectives given the current context.
One critical point raised by RSF was the necessity for regulating social media platforms, as Brazil faces significant freedom of expression challenges online. With right-wing factions resisting government attempts to combat disinformation and cyber violence, RSF called for transparent regulatory frameworks that would ensure access to reliable information and accountability for technology companies.
RSF also emphasized the need for reforms within journalist protection policies in Brazil. Although the Protection Program for Human Rights Defenders has been in place for over two decades, it is inadequately funded and structured. A proposed draft law to enhance the program fails to address the unique risks journalists encounter.
Additionally, RSF pointed out that the National Observatory on Violence Against Journalists, established by the Ministry of Justice, has been inactive for over a year. This inactivity undermines institutional mechanisms intended to address press-related violence. RSF urged the IACHR to call for the immediate reactivation of this Observatory and stronger governmental measures against impunity for crimes targeting journalists.
Furthermore, RSF highlighted the troubling concentration of media ownership in Brazil, which restricts public access to a variety of independent journalistic voices. The organization advocates for public policies and financial initiatives that would empower community-based and independent media organizations to create a more robust and diverse media landscape less subject to political and economic pressures.
Alongside these key messages, RSF and partner organizations provided a detailed report to the IACHR on broader challenges to freedom of expression in Brazil. The IACHR is expected to release its findings and recommendations for the Brazilian government in the upcoming months. RSF remains dedicated to ensuring these pivotal issues are formally recognized and addressed effectively by Brazilian authorities.
RSF’s meeting with IACHR’s Pedro Vaca underscored critical concerns regarding press freedom in Brazil, urging for regulatory action on social media, robust protections for journalists, and diversification of media ownership. The persistent challenges faced by journalists in Brazil continue to necessitate urgent reforms and government accountability to safeguard the integrity of press freedoms. The IACHR’s forthcoming report will be crucial for compelling action from Brazilian authorities.
Original Source: rsf.org
