Declaration of Chapultepec pg. 23

By: Mark Fitzgerald A key free press document for the Americas

For journalists and free press advocates throughout Latin America, 1999 brings not only another World Press Freedom Day, but the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Chapultepec.
When the Hemisphere Conference on Free Speech assembled in Mexico City in March 1994, the nations in North and South America were embracing freedom and democracy in unprecedented numbers. In the Declaration of Chapultepec, delegates proclaimed that free expression, including a free press, was indispensible to liberty.
"Wherever the media can function unhindered and determine their own direction and manner of serving the public," the Declaration states in its preamble, "there is a blossoming of the ability to seek information, to disseminate it without restraints, to question it without fear, and to promote the free exchange of ideas and opinions. But wherever freedom of the press is curtailed, for whatever reasons, the other freedoms vanish."
The following is the text of the principles adopted in the Declaration of Chapultepec:
A free press enables societies to resolve their conflicts, promote their well-being and protect their liberty. No law or act of government may limit freedom of expression or of the press, whatever the medium. Because we are fully conscious of this reality and accept it with the deepest conviction and because of our firm commitment to freedom, we sign this declaration, whose principles follow.
? No people or society can be free without freedom of expression and of the press. The exercise of this freedom is not something authorities grant, it is an inalienable right of the people.
? Every person has the right to seek and receive information, express opinions and disseminate them freely. No one may restrict or deny these rights.
? The authorities must be compelled by law to make available in a timely and reasonable manner the information generated by the public sector. No journalist may be forced to reveal his or her sources of information.
? Freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind, and impunity for perpetrators. Such acts must be investigated promptly and punished harshly.
? Prior censorship, restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports, arbitrary management of information, the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly contradict freedom of the press.
? The media and journalists should neither be discriminated against nor favored because of what they write or say.
? Tariff and exchange policies, licenses for the importation of paper or news-gathering equipment, the assigning of radio and television frequencies, and the granting or withdrawal of government advertising may not be used to reward or punish the media or individual journalists.
? The membership of journalists in guilds, their affiliation to professional and trade associations and the affiliation of the media with business groups must be strictly voluntary.
? The credibility of the press is linked to its commitment to truth, to the pursuit of accuracy, fairness, and objectivity and to the clear distinction between news and advertising. The attainment of these goals and the respect for ethical and professional values may not be imposed. These are the exclusive responsibility of journalists and the media. In a free society, it is public opinion that rewards or punishes.
? No news medium nor journalist may be punished for publishing the truth or criticizing or denouncing the government.
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