Freedom of Expression
Announcement
Office of the Special Rapporteur Launches Public Consultation on Media Concentration
July 9, 2015
Washington, D.C. – The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) started on July 9 a public consultation to learn the situation the continent registers on rules and practices to address the issue of the concentration of property in media outlets.
The hemisphere has been involved in a debate on the need to guarantee the diversity and pluralism in the exercise of freedom of expression in accordance with the democratic principles. As part of its ongoing monitoring work the IACHR and its Special Rapporteurship have reaffirmed the obligation of the States to guarantee the existence of free, independent and pluralistic communication media and to avoid or revert monopolies or oligopolies regarding the ownership or control of communication media, in accordance with Article 13 of the Convention and Principle 12 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur is a permanent office, with its own operational structure and functional independence that operates within the legal framework of the IACHR. Its mandate includes the functions to develop thematic reports and an Annual Report on the situation of the right to freedom of thought and expression in the Americas. For the year 2015, the Office of the Special Rapporteur will carry out a thematic report on freedom of expression, diversity, pluralism and media concentration in the hemisphere, which would be included in its Annual Report.
To achieve that, the Office has published the "Questionnaire for states and civil society to assist in the preparation of a report on standards of freedom of expression, diversity and pluralism and media concentration", available here (French version available here).
The Office of the Special Rapporteur invites the States and civil society to respond to the attached questionnaire by providing examples of the most emblematic issues that reflect structural patterns or obstacles, as well as best practices to prevent the undue concentration of media outlets.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression was created by the IACHR to encourage the defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression in the hemisphere, given the fundamental role this right plays in consolidating and developing the democratic system.