Journalism in Valle del Cauca – terror, economic pressure and self-censorship [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

Journalism in Valle del Cauca – terror, economic pressure and self-censorship

Published on Thursday 7 May 2015.

Terrorized and pressured economically, journalists censor themselves in the southwestern department of Valle del Cauca, according to a joint report on freedom of information in this region that Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Colombian Federation of Journalists (FECOLPER) released today.

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RSF and FECOLPER have registered two murders of journalists and one attempted murder in Colombia since the start of the year, confirming the country’s status as one of the most dangerous in the western hemisphere for media personnel.

After Edgar Quintero, a journalist with local Radio Luna, was murdered in Palmira, a city in Valle del Cauca, on 2 March, the two NGOs decided to carry out a joint visit to the department to document the challenges facing journalists there.

They visited the cities of Buenaventura and Palmira from 13 to 15 March, meeting local government officials, more than 50 journalists, representatives of two journalists’ organizations and civil society representatives.

More:
http://en.rsf.org/colombia-journalism-in-valle-del-cauca-07-05-2015,47869.html