1 September 2004
DRAFT BILL SEEKS TO REGULATE JOURNALISTS
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have expressed concerns over a proposed bill in Brazil which seeks to regulate journalists, warning it would severely restrict freedom of expression.
The bill, sent to Congress on 4 August 2004, would create federal and regional journalism councils made up of journalists, say IAPA and CPJ. According to the draft text, it would "guide, discipline and supervise the practice of the profession of journalist and journalistic activity, to ensure the adherence to the profession's ethical and disciplinary principles throughout the national territory."
Every journalist would have to register with a regional council. Under the bill, the councils would have the authority to issue warnings and fines, suspend a journalist for up to 30 days and revoke their registration, says CPJ.
The bill was initially drafted by the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ), a journalists' union, and revised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. FENAJ says the councils would work in the public's interest by challenging and combating the "manipulation of information, distortion of facts and journalism with a hidden agenda." The Union of Professional Journalists in Rio Grande do Sul argues that the proposed law does not allow the executive branch of the government to interfere with the press, reports IJNet.org.
To view the draft bill (in Portuguese only), see:
www.ijnet.org
For more information, visit:
- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/news/2004/Brazil20aug04na.html
- IAPA: http://www.sipiapa.org/
- IJNet:
www.ijnet.org
RSS