Although it is very true that freedom of expression is not an exclusive right of journalists and the media, the implementation of a very sophisticated censorship model, now long standing and with profound ramifications, has led Venezuela to a serious information problem about news events, which the Institute for Press and Society (IPYS) qualifies as a ‘desert of information’.
By Walter Obregón // Correspondent lapatilla.com
The Venezuelan journalist Marianela Balbi is the executive director of IPYS, an organization that defines itself as a promoter, defender and trainer in all matters related to freedom of expression, and apart from registering and making visible cases of censorship, has also carried out one of the most relevant investigations on the informative reality in Venezuela: the Atlas of Silence.
In the last two years, the results of this report make it possible to point out that in Venezuela the information desert has grown by 1,753,674 citizens who have lost the possibility of expressing themselves and of being informed according to the rights explicitly declared in the Bolivarian Constitution of Venezuela.
For these reasons, lapatilla.com spoke with the journalist Marianela Balbi, regarding Journalist’s Day in Venezuela, which will be held on June 27th.
What is the value of freedom of expression as a fundamental right in a democracy?
– Democracy and freedom of expression are inevitably mixed, united. The one cannot be conceived without the other. Freedom of expression is that fundamental principle that crosses all other human rights, because it can ensure – when we can fully exercise it – that any abuse against any other form of freedom to which the democratic citizen aspires, is made known and can change things.
That is why we say that the health of democracy will reflect the state of freedom of expression. Democracy cannot breathe without freedom of expression.
Is there freedom of expression in Venezuela?
– Despite the fact that the government has insisted on disguising itself as democratic and evades its direct responsibility for the restrictions on freedom of expression, we can affirm that in Venezuela this right is violated.
The State has not only not recognized the warnings of the UN and OAS rapporteurs on freedom of expression regarding violations of freedom of expression, but has also rejected the 27 recommendations made by the diplomatic missions in the most recent Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights.
Their narrative is based on the willful fact that: “their” media exist. But this is not enough. Freedom of expression is the right to say what I think and to be guaranteed that nothing will happen to me for expressing it. But it must also guarantee the plurality and diversity of voices, the right to be informed, the ample existence of media and the full exercise of the profession of journalism for all, not only for their followers.
How does anyone determine whether or not there is freedom of expression?
– There are international standards that determine guarantees for freedom of expression, such as that it is an inalienable right inherent to all people. That every person has the right to freely seek, receive and disseminate information and opinions, that access to information held by the State is a fundamental right of individuals, that prior censorship and pressure to avoid any opinion or information, that intimidation and threats against journalists curtail freedom of expression, that privacy laws should not inhibit or restrict the investigation and dissemination of information of public interest, that public officials are subject to greater scrutiny by of society, that radio and television assignments must consider democratic criteria that guarantee equal opportunities.
If we review this list of standards, we can conclude that in Venezuela there is no freedom of expression.
What is the function of the journalist for the survival of democracy?
– Its role is essential, because it is called to be an exceptional witness and main actor in the work of surveillance and scrutiny of public power that can promote the transparency of public affairs and administration.
Journalists are fundamental in the construction and maintenance of democratic societies, and that is why they were included among the necessary actors for the development of institutionally strong societies, as established by the Sustainable Development Goal 10.16.01. Hence the importance of guaranteeing their safety and giving them guarantees for their independent work.
It is true that freedom of expression is not a right only for journalists and the media, but it is an actor that promotes the right for each human being to express their own perspective on any subject, even if others do not like it. I can communicate with others, I can debate and deliberate. Therefore, journalists are relevant to guarantee the plurality and diversity of voices that every democratic society needs.
Has the IPYS Atlas of Silence report had any impact?
– The photograph that we have made of the news deserts in Venezuela reflects how the implementation of a very sophisticated censorship model, with a long history and deep ramifications, manages to destroy the ecosystem of local media, causing a lot of silence, self-censorship and opacity in the smaller municipalities, further away from urban centers, poorer, more unprotected, more vulnerable.
The exclusion of more than 7 million Venezuelans from the possibility of having a means of expressing themselves and being informed reaffirms the inequalities, the information gaps that exist in Venezuela. This is what the Atlas of Silence is denouncing.
How has been the experience of preparing this report?
– It has been a very demanding, multidisciplinary and fruitful experience that brought together more than 70 professionals from the fields of journalism, computing, design, and statistics to arrive at the final product.
Together we work on the definition of the methodology, the monitoring of the field work, and later, the analysis of the results. We analyze access to local information with daily coverage in Venezuela.
To do this, we applied a digital survey aimed at media workers in the 24 states of the country. We managed to reach 335 municipalities and the parishes of La Guaira and the Capital District, thanks to the work of our Network of IPYS Venezuela Correspondents and Collaborators.
We also promoted the participation of citizens, by consulting the inhabitants of all localities to find out how they perceive access to local news in their communities.
Where is the news desert accentuated in Venezuela? What has caused it?
– The result of the most shocking study is that 7,025,427 Venezuelans (21% of the population) live in news deserts. That is, in any one of the 133 locations that, according to this research, can be classified as information deserts.
The astonishing data represents a substantial increase in information ‘aridity’ compared to the first edition of the investigation two years ago, in 2020, which showed that there were 5,271,753 Venezuelans living in news deserts. We see with alarm that the percentage of the Venezuelan population that lives in deserts has increased.
Since the last survey of IPYS Venezuela, carried out two years ago, the information crisis in the country has worsened. The most affected areas continue to be the smallest municipalities, border areas, and the regions furthest away from urban centers.
Can this desert news in Venezuela be reversed? How can one do it?
– These figures should call the attention of journalists, academics, the State, public and private institutions, because without the media there is no society that can resist the attacks of authoritarianism and it will not be possible to restore democracy in Venezuela.
It is necessary to be informed and have the means, for example, for the best decision-making in a truly free, transparent and competitive electoral context.
The way to reverse these deserts is by stimulating the creation of new media and initiatives for journalism and information, repopulating those lands with news ventures that meet local information needs. But the most important thing is to guarantee the conditions for the development of these initiatives with full freedom, with total security, with guarantees of a local economy that supports these ideas and a State that respects the democratic values of freedom of expression.