The Circle of Paraguayan Judicial Journalists, a group of reporters who cover major court issues, released a statement reporting harassment and intimidation from officials at the country’s top prosecutor’s office who are unhappy with the coverage of several cases.
In a failed attempt to avoid speculations in the press about the health of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, who is undergoing treatment for lymphatic cancer, the president's brother, Pompeyo Lugo, asked the courts to prevent the media from revealing any information recorded in the official medical reports. The appeal for protection was removed days later, after protests and cries of censorship, according to La Nación.
The country’s National Information Agency announced it will start a new free weekly paper, with nationwide circulation, that will cover the activities of the government, including news from different ministries, departments, and public institutions, Radio Ñandutí reports.
Paraguayan journalist Rosendo Duarte, correspondent for the newspaper ABC in the city of Salto del Guairá, on the border with Brazil, was threatened during his radio program on Wednesday, Aug. 25, ABC reported.
The Paraguayan Journalists Union condemned an attack against Martín Caballero, a radio announcer from Radio Sagrado Corazón de Jesús in the city of Villa Hayes. The group also came out against attempts to censor the radio station.
Gabriel Bustamante, a reporter based in the southern city of Ayolas who works with FM Ayolas, La Nación, and Crónica, survived three alleged murder attempts last week, the Paraguayan Journalists’ Union and Reporters Without Borders (RWB) report.
A proposed law that will be debated in Paraguay's House of Representatives would establish community radio stations as those with signal strength between 50 and 300 watts, and would prohibit them from receiving funding from state or private advertising. The Paraguayan Journalists Union rejected the measure, calling the restrictions arbitrary.
During the World Cup, the press often takes on the emotions of the fans and makes fun of rival teams. Humor is part of the game. But the tone Brazilian channel SporTv, owned by Globo, used to refer to Paraguay during the recent game has stunned fans, as the channel insulted the country and its people, rather than focusing on soccer.
Police identified the name of at least one journalist in the agendas and papers found in the search operations against an armed group, the Paraguayan People's Army (EPP) in Concepción, in the north of the country, according to La Nación.
In an interview with Argentine daily Página 12, Paraguay's communications minister Augusto dos Santos says the country wants to launch its first state-run TV network in May of 2011.
The Paraguayan Journalists' Union (SPP) says media workers in Ciudad del Este are subject to persecution, firings for political reasons, censorship, and threats, Última Hora reports. The union blames the city’s mayor and her supporters for the abuse.
The Paraguayan Journalists Forum (FOPEP) is writing a professional code of ethics for journalists, the newspaper ABC Color reports.