Argentine President Cristina Fernandez announced Tuesday, Aug. 24, that the country's lawyers will bring a lawsuit accusing Argentina's two largest newspapers, Clarín and La Nación, of illegally appropriating newsprint company Papel Prensa during the military dictatorship (1976-1983), reported the official news agency Télam, the Associated Press, and Agência Estado.
The Argentine government today, Aug. 24, will release a 400-page report that supposedly shows ties between the country's two largest newspapers and the military dictatorship (1976-1983), reported the news agency Télam. The document analyzes the newspapers' purchase in 1976 of Papel Prensa, Agentina's largest producer of newsprint. The newspapers share ownership of the company with the Argentine government.
The government announced it revoked the license of Fibertel, an internet service provider owned by Grupo Clarín, the parent company of Clarín newspaper, Bloomberg reports. “Fibertel doesn’t exist anymore,” said Planning Minister Julio De Vido.
The dispute between the Clarín Group, Argentina's largest media conglomerate, and the federal government over Papel Prensa, the largest newsprint factory in the country, has intensified in recent days, with complaints, death threats, and accusations of human rights violations during the dictatorship (1976-1983).
Despite the global economic crisis and the migration of readers to the Internet, the circulation of printed newspapers in Latin America is projected to grow during the next five years, particularly in Brazil, Chile and Argentina, according to a Pricewaterhouse Coopers study, reported the newspaper La Nación.
Since Crítica, of Buenos Aires, stopped circulating April 29, its 190 reporters, editors, photographers and other workers have done all they can to keep their jobs. They have organized protests and meetings and have occupied the newsroom 24-7 for three months. This week they refused to comply with a court eviction order issued by the magistrate in charge of the bankruptcy process of the company, according to the Facebook campaign “Salvemos al Diario Critica”, or Let's Save the Crítica Newspaper." (Also see the campaign blog).Clarín. The employees of Crítica also asked to be able to stay in the newsroom until an
The Secretary of Commerce in Argentina, Guillermo Moreno, took helmets and boxing gloves to a meeting to discuss changes to the oversight committee of Papel Prensa, the largest manufacturer of newsprint in the country, reported the newspaper Clarín (see also a link to a video of the meeting).
The Chamber of Deputies is considering a bill to regulate the distribution of official advertising to media outlets, Clarín reports. In June, Clarín accused the executive of using ad spending to manipulate coverage.
Robert Cox, the London-born journalist who covered Argentina’s Dirty War when other newspapers wouldn’t, has been made an “Illustrious Citizen of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires,” The Guardian reports. He received the award when visiting the city for the release of the Spanish-language edition of his son’s memoir on the experience.
Alberto Maquieira, the president of newsprint manufacturer Papel Prensa, has received several threatening letters that say things like “Maquieira, we are watching you,” La Nación reports.
When politicians chose the internet as the main place to talk about their activities and opinions, what happens to journalists? This line of questioning is coming up in Argentina, where several politicians have shown an adoration for social media coupled with a disdain for the traditional press.
The newspaper La Nación and the oil company YPF are engaged in a public fight over the company's advertising policy and the newspaper's editorial agenda, according to the newspaper Los Andes.