News/Media Alliance Stands in Support of the Colombian Association of News Media’s Call for Greater Support for the Free Press in Colombia

The News/Media Alliance joins the Colombian Association of News Media ("AMI") in its call to highlight the dangers the free press in Colombia face, and for its plea to the people of Colombia to 'demand and defend their rights to freedom of expression, the right to information, and freedom of the press.' In its statement published on October 3, 2024, AMI reiterated the importance of journalism in keeping citizens informed and condemned the "repeated and increasingly aggressive declarations and actions aimed at curtailing the freedom of the press, freedom of expression, and the right to information, and consequently limiting democracy in Colombia". The News/Media Alliance recognizes that threats to journalists in any country, is a threat to the free press internationally, and we must collectively work together to ensure every citizen has access to information gathered by an uninhibited press.

Colombian Association of News Media Statement in English:

The practice of journalism and the work of the media have been subjected to repeated and increasingly aggressive declarations and actions aimed at curtailing freedom of the press, freedom of expression and the right to information, and consequently limiting democracy, at a time when indicators of press freedom, violence against journalists, and disregard for international standards of press and freedom of expression are reaching alarmingly deteriorating levels in Colombia.

Added to this is the creation of an environment that favors political control debates on journalistic work, which are not legally viable, to introduce the convenience of regulations that institutionalize censorship in our country. Therefore,

The Colombian Association of News Media (AMI) invites Colombians to:

• Demand and defend their rights to freedom of expression, the right to information, and freedom of the press.
• Reject any form of intimidation, harassment, and stigmatization of the press and pluralistic, free journalistic work, as well as all forms of censorship, intimidation, violence, and stigmatization of those who practice journalism and express opinions.
• Distance themselves from incitements to hatred, contempt, and demonization of journalistic work that questions, investigates, denounces, and expresses opinions.
• Freely choose the consumption of information and journalism according to their preference, without passions or pressures, guided by criteria of intellectual interest and curiosity to form their own judgment and make sensible and respectful decisions, based on multiple sources of information, as fundamental premises for the construction of society, nation, democracy, and peace.

May your ideas be based on truth and independence may endure.

Colombian Association of News Media Statementen Español :

El ejercicio del periodismo y la labor de los medios de información ha venido siendo objeto de reiteradas y cada vez más agresivas declaraciones y acciones que apuntan a coartar la libertad de prensa, de expresión y el derecho a la información, y en consecuencia una limitación de la democracia, en un momento en el cual los indicadores de libertad de prensa, de violencia hacia periodistas y de irrespeto por los estándares internacionales de libertad de prensa y de expresión están registrando en Colombia alarmantes niveles de deterioro.

A lo anterior se suma la ambientación de climas que favorezcan debates de control político a la labor periodística, que no son legalmente viables, para introducir la conveniencia de regulaciones que institucionalicen la censura en nuestro país.

Por tanto, La Asociación Colombiana de Medios de Información AMI invita a los colombianos a:

• Exigir y defender sus derechos a la libertad de expresión, el derecho a la información y la libertad de prensa.
• Rechazar cualquier forma de intimidación, acoso y estigmatización de la prensa y la labor periodística plural y libre, así como todas las formas de censura, intimidación, violencia y estigmatización de quienes hacen periodismo y opinan.
• Apartarse de las incitaciones al odio, el desprecio y la satanización del trabajo periodístico que cuestiona, investiga, denuncia y opina.
• Optar de manera libre por el consumo de información y periodismo a su elección, sin apasionamientos ni presiones, atendiendo criterios de interés y curiosidad informativa e intelectual para formar su criterio y tomar decisiones de manera sensata y respetuosa con base en múltiples fuentes de información, como presupuestos para la construcción de sociedad, país, democracia y paz. Para que sus ideas se sustenten con la verdad y la independencia perdure.

Para que sus ideas se sustenten con la verdad y la independencia perdure.

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