Journalists, publishers and media professors from Latin American countries spent five valuable study days at Loja, Ecuador reflecting the challenges facing them in the new Latin America. Following our tradition, the first two days were specially devoted to young professionals and the following three days were for all. 

The gathering of Latin American young journalists helped them realise exclusive study days. This was done with the aim of bringing young professionals in order to analyse and explore the realities when they are young. Such an experience at the young age does make lasting impacts and influences on them for the many future years of their profession, fields, orientations or professions are changed.

The theme, “Communication, Citizenship and Values” helped analyse the most pressing issues, especially new trends in the political, media and economic landscapes. It is a theme that is very dear to Latin Americans, especially in the context of the new political ideologies, which are increasing in popularity throughout the continent. 

Some years ago, liberation theology from Latin America caught the world’s attention. In more recent years left and centre-left politicians have been conquering the continent with new visions, ideas, policies and programmes of liberation. As the most recent nation to be won over, Ecuador was seen as the natural and most appropriate host and venue to debate this challenging theme and recent events. 

Young and senior media professionals from all over the continent attended this event, organised in co-operation with various organisations. As the event was held in the small town of Loja, participants had the opportunity to explore the interior of diverse, multicultural and multi-ethnic Ecuador, situated as it is between South and Central America. 

The event with experts from all walks of life debated true challenges of public institutions and the irreplaceable role of the media in shaping the democratic landscape of countries in Latin America. And keynote speakers like Ana Belgica Guichardo, Carmen Aragua, Cristina Medina, Rosa Maria Alfaro, Jesus Conill, Adela Cortina, Rafael Alberto Perez, Sally Burch and Jose Barbosa Corbacho helped participants and resource persons to explore the challenges and propose ways to confront them.

Though there was a general feeling that traditional media and democratic institutions are in danger, the events agreed that these dangers, rather challenges, would help bring out greater results and benefit to societies in the long run.

We are happy to bring to you this report from the events that have mobilised individuals and institutions across Latin America to move forward with concrete initiatives of frequent and on-going awareness on all levels of societies, especially in the field of the media:

2. Ethics in the media: not only possible but also essential

One of the most penetrating questions addressed to the participants and resource persons reflected new tendencies and attitudes of journalists in the new economic and media contexts. More and more they are asking themselves about the necessity and role of ethics for the profession of journalism, which touches all areas of life. 

In recent decades, characterised by aggressive and blind economic globalisation, journalists have been asking whether ethics is possible in the uncontrolled market place in which we now live.

Journalists are more and more tempted to sideline ethical issues in their profession.  By avoiding the need to take ethics into account, they are just one step away from ditching ethics altogether.  The primary objectives of many media moguls today include maximising profits, spreading their personal ideologies and promoting their own business interests. In such a situation, ethical questions are easily put aside.

As ethics concerns the wellbeing of every person, it needs to be the foundation stone of any private enterprise that profits from fostering the public good. Present-day economic, political and media situations are chaotic and exacerbated by the concentration of ownership which dominates both the media and the politics.

In spite of these growing dangers, journalism remains a profession of influence largely free of public mandates but with individual and subjective mandates. This self-assumed power must then be built on an ethical foundation and must exercise and experience the necessary freedoms in its service to humanity. 

3. Golden Principles

Modern ethics imposes four golden principles on today’s journalists and media experts as well as on all types of the media irrespective of their ideologies and belongingness: 

(1) They must not manipulate or instrumentalise human persons and their dignity. 
(2) They should empower people by liberating them from their bonds and opening their ears to words of wisdom and their eyes to events of genuine enlightenment. 
(3) All human persons have a right to be heard.  There is a great need to listen and understand the dynamics of human dignity. 
(4) Journalists are called to analyse not only the material value but also the spiritual value of information before disseminating it.

These principles naturally call for the liberation of the journalist so that he or she can exercise their freedom and prioritise the common welfare in reporting. The primary purpose of these types of refreshers, seminars and events are to help the journalist re-conquer his or her pre-requisites of the profession.

Information is power. It can serve common good. It is merchandise. It is not only sold but also used to control peoples and their judgements, to shape the course of communications, and to form citizens and leaders. Therefore initiatives in the field of information and media should be accompanied by values, ethics and principles that foster the common good and public welfare.

4. Democratic Institutions

It is logical that democratic institutions become fragile when media have become instruments in the hands of a few who use them for their own interests. The stability of democratic institutions is built on healthy media that serve the public good. There is no democracy without press freedom.

The events analysed that, as the mainstream media became toys of the rich minority in many parts of Latin America, civil societies and alternative media especially radios mushroomed throughout the continent and took charge of informing and accompanying the whenever and wherever they can. The amusement of mainstream media in repeating the so-called “international news” that can be watched all over the world created a huge vacuum in dealing with the most pressing local concrete issues.  The mainstream media was even absent to a great extent on the vanguard of trustworthy sources of information so that people can decide and judge as full citizens.

In the early 80’s and before, several Latin American countries had cruel dictatorships with which many Latin Americans are still to come to terms. Such dictatorships were encouraged and even supported by business and religious leaders to safeguard their own interests. And media except those lined up with the dictatorships was not free.

After the dictatorships when media began to breath some air of freedom, the powerful and the rich easily bought many of them making them private properties, mouthpieces and propaganda tools. And this situation of giving in has been going on for more than two decades.

This new absence of freedom and autonomy in the filed of mainstream media, the negligence of the mainstream media to be with the suffering majority, and the flourishing of alternative media and civil societies in all walks of life brought political, social and religious hurricanes across the continent moving everything from right to left. And today most of the Latin American governments are formed out of left wing political parties and several of them disregard and hate traditional institutions and values.

5. “Liberation Politics”

Participants and resource persons made an interesting analysis of how these new left wing governments promising a new “liberation politics” swept citizenry and key institutions on to their sides and came to power.

During and after dictatorships, a group of religious leaders across Latin America especially in Brazil reacted against their political, religious and business leaders inventing the then famous “liberation theology”. At that time it was seen as the only “exit” for peoples to freedom and  fresh air in a Latin America where the middle class and the poor were more and more under the clutches of the powerful and rich minority. It was a revolution!

As dictatorships disappeared and people could travel to fare away places for great exposure and better understanding of the meaning of life, a certain level of enlightenment began to guide Latin American politics.

They “dared” socialism but not communism as in Cuba, which has been a shining red star for more than five decades in the Atlantic Ocean in the north central east of Latin American nations.

As a result, left wing politicians conquered Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela and even Ecuador a few months ago. 

The continental refresher and congress observed that the new governments have not yet liberated Latin Americans as their leaders too are in the influence of money and sometimes see the world through the lenses of their narrow ideologies.

6. The Necessity to Rethink and Rebuild

The experiences of both, right and left, traditional and modern have shown that their initiatives and experiments could not meet the expectations of peoples and the eternal problem of socio-economic inequality continues. 

Everyone knows that reactions especially aggressive ones can seldom become permanent solutions. But without reactions a better solution can seldom be envisaged either in complex political landscapes.

Therefore, there is a great need to re-think, re-found and re-create a new democracy that corresponds to the modern-day realities of Latin America. Such a democracy must be first of all fully participative. Such a people based and oriented democracy should not avoid any question related to society, culture, politics and religion, even if it is not able to give adequate answers to all.

Such a rethinking and rebuilding of the concept of citizenships are to be done with extreme care in a world where new technologies revolutionise the landscapes of the media and even basic communication with new languages and attractive.

Such a reshaping of democracy across Latin America naturally takes into consideration everyone’s right to make an opinion, to defend ideas and to respect the other in his or her entirety. 

The communication technologies especially the internet has enormously facilitated and influenced the modern dynamics of communication and it has led communication revolutions even in the remote areas.

7. Necessity of face-to-face meetings

The continental gathering affirmed that the presence of internet, video conferencing and other new methods of communication has reinforced the importance of meeting face-to-face for better understanding and developing respect for all peoples.

Thus the challenges of organisations like ours have become even more important and more complex than when it was first set up several decades ago. We need to guarantee face-to-face encounters in order to ensure ethics and values in a world where travel restrictions and the convenience of internet prevent people from meeting face-to-face. 

Though the internet has opened up many new possibilities, it also tends to keep people around the world within their own circles without allowing them to make use of the real opportunities to see and be exposed to the places where things are happening. When peoples around the world cannot exchange ideas and experiences face-to-face, they are not able to achieve ideal results.

Such real encounters should not be a luxury only for leaders and those with money or connection.  They have to be democratised and possibilities must be made available to all. The internet should pave the way for physical contacts rather than replace face-to-face encounters.

8. Feedbacks

Participants and resource persons congratulated the excellent quality of interventions, keynotes and working groups. They emphasised the importance of consecrating time for young journalists, as this is the best way to invest in young journalists.

The refresher programme has boosted the morale of hundreds of its participants and they have asked us to organise six Refresher Programmes and Summer Universities across Latin America over the coming three years. The Summer University allows its participants to be exposed to the realities of the host nation and region.