Harassment of journalism\u2014especially when it affects the interests and narratives of those in power\u2014is neither new nor unique to any one country. But it is taking on new forms, crossing borders, and spreading contagiously through Western democracies and hybrid regimes alike. These are places where those intent on undermining the credibility of representative institutions and basic democratic principles are making advances\u2014starting with freedom of expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This has recently been warned by The New York Times<\/em> publisher, A.G. Sulzberger, in a powerful defense of press freedom delivered at the University of Notre Dame in the U.S.: In Argentina, President Milei and his followers on social media have been carrying out a systematic campaign under the slogan “People don\u2019t hate journalists enough”, copied from a Donald Trump advertising campaign in the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s not the only thing the Argentine has copied from the American: the idea of journalists as a “privileged caste, enemies of the people” has its roots in populist ideologies that see journalism as an obstacle. It was adopted by Trump as a core part of his rhetoric. Milei\u2019s verbal attacks on the press have been a constant feature of his administration, which leans heavily on his digital communication team and wages its “cultural battle” via social networks. The Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA) reported 179 attacks throughout 2024\u2014a 53% increase compared to the previous year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, the government has introduced new, more restrictive criteria for accrediting and carrying out journalistic work at the presidential palace. These include a dress code, limits on the number of reporters present, and an \u201cObjective Evaluation Manual\u201d that scores journalists seeking accreditation at Casa Rosada. These new requirements “constitute a dangerous situation that could seriously affect access to public information,” stated the Argentine Association of Journalistic Entities (ADEPA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This topic was also addressed by communication experts at the Wapor Latin America 2025 Public Opinion Congress, held recently in Florian\u00f3polis, Brazil, under the theme \u201cPublic Opinion, Civic Engagement, and Global Risks in Latin America.\u201d<\/em> In particular, a well-known and studied phenomenon called the \u201cHostile Media Perception\u201d refers to the tendency to see media coverage as biased against one\u2019s own position\u2014even when the topic is reported objectively and fairly. This effect is especially noticeable in contexts of political, social, or religious polarization, where individuals tend to interpret information in ways that confirm preexisting beliefs and reject divergent perspectives\u2014a phenomenon also known as \u201cconfirmation bias.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This perception of hostility manifests in the belief that media outlets favor the “other side” of the political spectrum, ignoring or distorting information that supports one\u2019s own viewpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Katia Brembatti, president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (ABRAJI), points out that “in a platform-driven society, the theory of hostile media finds fertile ground to spread.” Attacks on the press, fueled by sources that support populist leaders and their followers on social media, are intended to deliberately undermine journalism\u2019s credibility, “muddy the waters,” and reinforce the perception that the press is manipulative and deceitful. This climate of distrust\u2014exacerbated by the use of fake news and deepfakes\u2014acts like a toxic cloud over public discourse and the exchange of ideas, while also serving as a breeding ground for capricious narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why it\u2019s crucial to seek reliable sources of information, cultivate critical thinking, and promote open debate in order to build a better-informed society. As Brembatti emphasizes: \u201cIt is essential that journalism reassert itself as a space for critical and responsible mediation, presenting accurate and contextualized information that allows for the formation of an informed and conscious public opinion.\u201d In a context of information overload, disinformation, and attacks on the press, journalistic ethics<\/a> become even more vital. The pursuit of transparency and accountability, and the commitment to rigorous fact-finding, are essential for public trust. Once again, democracy and a free press go hand in hand\u2014each depends on the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The original version of this article was published in Spanish in Clar\u00edn.<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a scenario of information proliferation, misinformation, and attacks on the press, journalistic ethics become even more important.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":48626,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17073,16855],"tags":[17180],"gps":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-48646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-libertad-de-expresion-en","8":"category-autoritarismo-en","9":"tag-ideas"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48646"},{"taxonomy":"gps","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinoamerica21.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/gps?post=48646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
“The role of a free and independent press in a healthy democracy is under direct attack, with increasingly aggressive and determined efforts to curtail and punish independent journalism. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s an exaggeration to say this anti-press campaign threatens the very formula for success that made the United States a model for nearly 250 years. Today, we\u2019re seeing democracy under threat around the world<\/a>. And for would-be autocrats seeking to undermine laws, norms, and institutions essential to healthy democracies, one of the first targets is often press freedom. The reasons are no secret: once the press\u2019s ability to independently inform the public about those in power has been curtailed, acting with impunity becomes far easier.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n