Ecuador: Fundamedios reports officials seeking to discredit journalists through social media

freemedia.at reported…Although there are still more than six months to go before the campaign to elect a new president in Ecuador begins, efforts to control political discourse in the country have long since begun.

According to a new study, part of this battle is being waged on social networks, where the current president, Rafael Correa, and like-minded government officials are seeking to discredit journalists, cartoonists and media outlets critical of their rule.

Published by the media-freedom watchdog Fundamedios, the study, “The Battle in 140 Characters”, analysed the content of approximately 1,384 tweets from a sample of 27 Twitter accounts belonging to public officials, lawmakers and high-ranking political leaders.

The tweets included in the study, says Fundamedios’s director, César Ricaurte, not only contain insults and smears, but also follow a concrete strategy. Read Article

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