By Lynn Romero
Gotson Pierre, founder of Alterpresse in Haiti, told the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas that journalists in the Dominican Republic and Haiti are facing serious, recent threats against freedom of expression.
According to Pierre, who presented at the 10th annual Austin Forum on Journalism in the Americas, the press situation in Haiti has deteriorated during the past year and a hostile environment for journalists has been created under the watch of Haiti's new president. Measures are currently being taken in Haiti to pass a new law that would criminalize defamation even as other Latin American and Caribbean countries are decriminalizing the offense.
Pierre said that self-censorship is a serious problem for the Haitian press and that impunity has worsened the delicate situation facing the country's media.
Below, see the full interview with Pierre in Spanish:
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.
