The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recommended the creation of a communications monitoring council independent of political and commercial interests in Ecuador, reported El Universo.
The council would apply only to broadcast media, as television and radio use a "public good" (frequencies). The recommendation is part of a series of suggestions contained in an UNESCO report about the state of the media in Ecuador, which is debating a law that would regulate the media, according to El Telégrafo.
The report also suggested the possibility of reforming Article 18 of the Constitution, which establishes individuals' right to receive and produce truthful, verified, timely and contextualized information. According to UNESCO, such wording limits freedom of expression, explained El Comercio.
UNESCO's recommendations come as relations between the press and government are deteriorating amid constant criticisms and interference by President Rafael Correa.
The report, "Analysis of Media Development in Ecuador 2011," was given to the president of the National Assembly, Fernando Cordero, who said that the suggestions will be included in the bill for the proposed media regulation law the legislature is analyzing, reported El Tiempo.
Other Related Headlines:
» El Universo (in Spanish) (Correa says that as victim, he should be on media regulating council)
» Reporters Without Borders (Media volatility and the risky regulation)
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.
