President Rafael Correa has proposed holding a popular vote on limiting bank investment in media companies in order to “avoid conflicts of interest,” AFP and EFE report. The referendum, which also includes judicial reforms, is now being analyzed by the Constitutional Court to confirm its legality.
According to El Universal, the vote will be on ten issues, one of which is a communications law against the “excesses” of media. Correa, who has a tense relationship with the press, also wants an agency to regulate media content, Europa Press explains.
The 2008 Constitution bars financial companies from owning majority stakes in media outlets, but Correa believes a more precise statute is necessary, Prensa Latina adds.
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.
