Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Closing statement
McDonald thanked the studio audience and closed by suggesting you tune in to WAMU 88.5 FM. Again, the broadcast of this forum will be on at 10pm tonight on WAMU.
Questions from the audience: Less international coverage means less coverage of smaller countries?
Carreño asks if there even is coverage. Do you ever hear of Paraguay?
Sotero said that, then again, there isn't that much coverage of countries like Bulgaria. He said Brazil's coverage in the U.S. is like France's coverage in the U.S.
Also, younger people are just not reading newspapers and this creates cutbacks in such areas as foreign news. Sotero likes reading a newspaper but students of the future will probably not and, instead, get their information online. Newspapers are dying.
McDonald, however, had the audience (composed mostly of American University Students) raise their hands to see if they liked holding newspapers and a majority of students raised their hands. Not that such an informal survey means anything but it seemed to make Sotero feel better (he smiled anyway).
Rockwell said to look at alternative media for coverage of smaller countries.
Sotero said that, then again, there isn't that much coverage of countries like Bulgaria. He said Brazil's coverage in the U.S. is like France's coverage in the U.S.
Also, younger people are just not reading newspapers and this creates cutbacks in such areas as foreign news. Sotero likes reading a newspaper but students of the future will probably not and, instead, get their information online. Newspapers are dying.
McDonald, however, had the audience (composed mostly of American University Students) raise their hands to see if they liked holding newspapers and a majority of students raised their hands. Not that such an informal survey means anything but it seemed to make Sotero feel better (he smiled anyway).
Rockwell said to look at alternative media for coverage of smaller countries.
Questions from the audience: Less U.S. journalists in Latin America means bias?
Rockwell said that the fewer voices you have reporting, the less quality of reporting you have.
Carreño agreed. There is no meeting ground where ideas can be compared before they're published. There's a scarcity of sources, less coverage and it makes more bias.
Sotero said that NPR in Brazil does some very thoughtful, well informed pieces on very difficult subjects like crime, violence AIDS. NPR covered that Brazil has a very good program for AIDS.
He doesn't pay attention to bias in the media because a reporter will get the facts and report the facts in such a way that the audience can form their own opinion.
"I don't care if they're liberal or conservative, NPR has good, professional journalists," he said.
Carreño agreed. There is no meeting ground where ideas can be compared before they're published. There's a scarcity of sources, less coverage and it makes more bias.
Sotero said that NPR in Brazil does some very thoughtful, well informed pieces on very difficult subjects like crime, violence AIDS. NPR covered that Brazil has a very good program for AIDS.
He doesn't pay attention to bias in the media because a reporter will get the facts and report the facts in such a way that the audience can form their own opinion.
"I don't care if they're liberal or conservative, NPR has good, professional journalists," he said.
Latin American Journalists in Danger
Rockwell said that Latin American journalists are in danger of being attacked for what they write. They're up there with Iraqi journalists.
Carreño said that in the last 7 months in Mexico, there have been about six journalists killed, three disappearance. Most of that is because of what they covered.
The problem is not so much of what the government has done, it's what it hasn't done. The government has allowed the violence to have sway in a number of places and it means that the rights of journalists and freedom of expression has been destroyed.
Sotero said that most of the time, people are worried about street crime in Brazil like the burning of buses with people inside them. The president called those acts, terrorist acts.
Sometimes you have a journalist that disappears. Sometimes the owner of a publication, more in the interior of the country, disappear.
Journalists in more remote areas of Brazil are in more danger when they try to expose facts that people don't want them to be revealed (like organized crime having a connection to the police).
Some journalists still report these stories because they're very gutsy, Sotero said, and then that's how these stories get out.
In Columbia, there are some pretty heroic things being done by journalists.
Carreño said that in the last 7 months in Mexico, there have been about six journalists killed, three disappearance. Most of that is because of what they covered.
The problem is not so much of what the government has done, it's what it hasn't done. The government has allowed the violence to have sway in a number of places and it means that the rights of journalists and freedom of expression has been destroyed.
Sotero said that most of the time, people are worried about street crime in Brazil like the burning of buses with people inside them. The president called those acts, terrorist acts.
Sometimes you have a journalist that disappears. Sometimes the owner of a publication, more in the interior of the country, disappear.
Journalists in more remote areas of Brazil are in more danger when they try to expose facts that people don't want them to be revealed (like organized crime having a connection to the police).
Some journalists still report these stories because they're very gutsy, Sotero said, and then that's how these stories get out.
In Columbia, there are some pretty heroic things being done by journalists.
Questions from the audience: Coca Cola
Sotero said there is a natural tendency for medias to stay away from the wrongdoings of major companies like Coca Cola. However:
Soy beans in the Amazon. This is a huge issue and Greenpeace had an intelligent campaign in Europe to convince McDonalds to stop using soy beans from the Amazon. McDonalds didn't want to look bad in Europe by looking like they'd helped destroy the rainforest.
In the media of certain poor states, where the local powers are very strong, journalists just have less of a space to cover it.
Rockwell added that the history of government repression of the media in the Latin Americas causes self-censorship. People who don't feel they can speak their total mind on TV or the Internet because they're afraid of what might happen.
Managers often quash those stories because they're afraid Coca Cola will stop advertising with them, which they're not going to do.
Soy beans in the Amazon. This is a huge issue and Greenpeace had an intelligent campaign in Europe to convince McDonalds to stop using soy beans from the Amazon. McDonalds didn't want to look bad in Europe by looking like they'd helped destroy the rainforest.
In the media of certain poor states, where the local powers are very strong, journalists just have less of a space to cover it.
Rockwell added that the history of government repression of the media in the Latin Americas causes self-censorship. People who don't feel they can speak their total mind on TV or the Internet because they're afraid of what might happen.
Managers often quash those stories because they're afraid Coca Cola will stop advertising with them, which they're not going to do.
Questions from the audience: Dissident media coverage of Latin America
Rockwell has a huge list of dissident media sources for Latin America on his Website. Such as The Nation. There are also blogs that you can go to if you Google them. Try typing in "Blogs Brazil" or "Blogs Mexico."
There are various magazines. Many of the mainstream newspapers are cutting back and bringing their international correspondents back so there is less coverage when there should be more.
Rockwell's Website is: http://ivorytowerz.blogspot.com/
There are various magazines. Many of the mainstream newspapers are cutting back and bringing their international correspondents back so there is less coverage when there should be more.
Rockwell's Website is: http://ivorytowerz.blogspot.com/
Social Movements Coverage
McDonald: What issues should be given more coverage?
Carreño said that social movements should be covered more. The social movements such as being on the left (whatever that is) should be covered more.
There are reasons for political leaders like Chavez but it's not being explored in the media.
Sotero said that he's tired of hearing about left or new. "Chavez could be described as an old-fashioned populist with a bunch of money," he said, rather than a leftist.
The New York Times and the L.A. Times will give you the political and social movements of the Latin Americas. He also suggests the Financial Times and the Economist. They can be critical of Brazil but they can be fair, he said.
Carreño said that social movements should be covered more. The social movements such as being on the left (whatever that is) should be covered more.
There are reasons for political leaders like Chavez but it's not being explored in the media.
Sotero said that he's tired of hearing about left or new. "Chavez could be described as an old-fashioned populist with a bunch of money," he said, rather than a leftist.
The New York Times and the L.A. Times will give you the political and social movements of the Latin Americas. He also suggests the Financial Times and the Economist. They can be critical of Brazil but they can be fair, he said.
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