texas-moody

OAS monitor urges lawmakers to change Ecuador’s media bill

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  • August 19, 2010

By Ingrid Bachmann

The Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression at the Organization of American States (OAS), Carolina Botero, outlined 13 aspects of the proposed Communication Law that need to be changed or clarified, Hoy reports. Last week, Human Rights Watch also said the bill was in need of several changes.

According to El Comercio, the aspects of the law the OAS critiqued include the failure to address freedom of opinion, a new degree requirement for practicing journalism, the creation of a Communications Council, and the ambiguous and broad character of the obligations the law puts on media outlets.

According to the OAS, if lawmakers do not amend those parts of the law, the bill would contravene the American Convention on Human Rights.

Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.