Reporters Without Integrity in Venezuela

[Joanne98]

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=2079
Reporters Without Borders (RWB). The name, modelled on that of humanitarian organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), conjures the idea of an organisation that monitors global standards of press freedom, offers insightful and hard-hitting investigative reports on world conflict and defends the safety of courageous journalists in war-torn countries. One would imagine that such an organisation would lend its support to one of the few countries in the world that is taking major leaps in democratising the media by breaking the existing monopoly of corporate domination.

And surely, an organisation that claims to laud truthful press coverage would denounce the actions of a television station — Venezuela’s Radio Caracas Television (RCTV) — that participates in a coup against a democratically elected government. In April 2002, a US-backed military coup was launched against the government of President Hugo Chavez. RCTV broadcast opposition calls to overthrow the Chavez government; encouraged viewers to participate in a demonstration that was part of the coup strategy; banned pro-Chavez coverage during the period of the coup; falsified footage of government forces firing on demonstrators (which was used as a justification for the coup); and refused to report Chavez’s April 13 return to power on the back of a mass uprising led by the poor, instead running soap operas and films.

Instead, RWB is at the forefront of the right-wing media war against Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution. Indeed, the political lines of the US government, the US-backed Venezuelan opposition and RWB coincide exactly.

RWB is purportedly non-partisan and independent. However, it receives funding from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the International Republican Institute, both of which are financed by the US Congress. Last year, information obtained under the US Freedom of Information Act revealed that RWB had received funds over at least three years from the IRI, linked to US President George Bush’s Republican Party.

In April 2005, RWB secretary general Robert Menard admitted: “We indeed receive money from the NED. And that hasn’t posed any problem.”
http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/articles.php?artno=2079

[Prophet 451]

1. Waiting...

The word "Venezuala" was in the thread title so this thread will be filled with posters slamming Chavez in the near future.

[BlackHawk706867]

2. I absolutely think that Mr. Chavez did the correct thing in shutting down...

this TV station.... and he should shut down any others that blatantly stand for his over-throw...

ww

[BlackHawk706867]

3. Here's another point... "What would the Bush Administration do under

the same set of circumstances"? You bet your ass the station would not only be shut down, but probably the people involved would disappear and never be heard from again.

ww

[Truth2Tell]

4. When you said "Reporters without integrity"...

I thought you must be talking about Simon Romero at the New York Times.

Sometimes I think he's in a contest with Michael Gordon to see who can be the biggest neocon kiss-up.

Maybe some kind of secret "Judith Miller Award" that we don't know about.

[Demeter]

5. First Prize Is 3 Months In Jail

2nd Prize is 6 months in jail!