Ecuador: Government media power “impoverishes public debate” says director Fundamedios

Generally, the distribution of avisaje is performed unattended or technical criteria of proportionality. In Argentina, the arbitrary division led to two lawsuits-one against the province of Neuquen and other anti-national government to return the advertising media that had been stripped from it. None of these decisions has been met. “Some media come to depend almost entirely on government advertising, and this is a distortion, because these media become official practice, although they remain private,” notes Andres D’Alessandro, Fopea.

The situation is worse in Ecuador, where the state is by far the main advertiser. According to Cesar Ricaurte, your annual investment amounts to approximately $ 84 million, while the main private advertiser barely 17 million. There, also owns the 22-state media, including five television stations, three newspapers and several radio stations and Internet news agencies. “The result is an impoverishment of public debate,” insists Ricaurte (Director Fundamedios).

Whether through violent means, the apparent legality or economic strangulation, the end remains the same: to limit freedom of expression, eliminate dissenting voices and convenient model a news agenda for the power shift, not citizens. The methods evolve, refine, but the battle remains the same. Read Article