Region: Inter-American Press Association opposes Media Laws

The Inter-American Press Association, speaking at their annual meeting held at the Dominican Republic, declared that monopolies and oligopolies in media and telecommunications should be tackled with wide-ranging antitrust and competition laws. Not, the advocacy group held, using sector-specific legislation.

“We agree with the principles, established by the Declaration on the Principles of Freedom of Expression, adopted in 2001 by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (CIDH), which states that under no circumstances should the fight against media monopolies and oligopolies be carried out using media-specific legislation” said Claudio Paolillo, president of the Freedom of the Press and Information Commission.

The introduction of specific laws to regulate media, Paolillo said, “carries the risk that, even motivated by good intentions, their proponents will provide the State with tools for restricting the free flow of information and exchange of opinions, even allowing public officials to meddle with media content.”

Full content: El Salvador

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.