JOURNALISTS Inthe ANDES
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JOURNALISTS iNTHE ANDES An Assessment of Journalism and Journalism Education in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perj and Venezuela By John Virtue Team leader and author of the report Agatha Ogaz6n Ana Cecilia With Roy E. Carter Mario Diament Sandra Navarro Latin American Journalism Program School of Journalism and Mass Communication Florida International University Miami, Florida May 1994 PREFACE This assessment of the status of journalism apl journalism education in the Andean Pact nations is a continuation of research started in 1986 ... the Schcol of Journalism and Mass Communication of Florida International University. That year a three-member assessment team began a study of how journalism is practiced in Central America, and how journalists are trained, which led to a massive professional development program in that region funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Not long after that original assessment was finished we began to receive suggestions that a similar evaluation be made of journalism in the Andean countries of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perd and Venezuela. But the size and demands of the training program in Central America forced us to delay undertaking an assessment of this scope. We did conduct additional assessments in Panam6 and Nicaragua as part af the Central American program but it was not until late 1993 that #he Latin American Journalism Program was able to expand its research into South America. This assessment, like its predecessor in Central America, was funded through AID's Office of Democratic Initiatives as pa. of its efforts to strengthen democracy in Latin America in the belief that no democracy c,.n survive without a strong, free and responsible press. Drafts of various sections of this report have been read by nationals of the five Andean countries who were not interviewed as part of the assessment. They agree with the substance of the report. The report pulls no punches. It reflects the good aspects of journalism and journalism education in the region. But it also reflects the problems. This assessment, and all components of the Latin American Journalism Program, are driven by one overriding axiom stated clearly in LAJP documents: "All of the training, education, researchand technical assistanceactivities will be based on the professional standardsof thefree press operatingseparatelyfrom and independent of the state in the democraciesof the modern world." Neither the assessment, nor the program itself, would have been possible without the financial assistance of AID. Neither would have been undertaken by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication without assurances from AID that the agency would allow them to develop under that axiom. J. Arthur Heise, Ph.D. Charles H. Green Dean Director Director General Pacific Ocean 111! TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................................... TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................................... .. v EXECUTIVE SUMM ARY ........................................................................................................................... I CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................................................. 3 RECOMMENDATIONS . ............ ........... ............................................................... 4 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ .................. 5 PURPOSE ..........................................................................................................................................................5 BACKGROUND............................................................6 ...................................................................................... THE ASSESSMENT TEAM ....................................................................................... 7 THE RESPONDENTS .......................................................................................................................................... 8 TH E FINDINGS .......................................................................................................................................... 10 JOURNALISM EDUCATION AND TRAINING ....................................................................................................... 10 TRAINING, PAY AND ETHICS .......................................................................................................................... 12 COLEG CI6N ................................................................................................................................................. 13 ROLE OF THE MEDIA ...................................................................................................................................... 13 SERVING THE PUBLIC ..................................................................................................................................... 14 INDEPENDENCE OF THE NEWSROOM .............................................................................................................. 15 DRUG TRAFFICKERS AND THE M EDIA ............................................................................................................ 15 PERSONAL SAFETY.........................................................................................................................................16 LACK OF RESPECT .......................................................................................................................................... 16 ROLE OF WOMEN ........................................................................................................................................... 17 JOURNALIS'S' OPINIONS ON THE M EDIA ........................................................................................................ 17 BO LIVIA .................................................................................................................................................... 20 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................................ 21 ECONOMY ...................................................................................................................................................... 22 ROLE OF THE PRESS ...................................................................................................................................... 22 SALARES ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 COLEGIACI6N ................................................................................................................................................. 25 UNIONIZATION ............................................................................................................................................... 25 M EDIA OWNERSHIP ........................................................................................................................................ 25 JOURNALISTS' M OST SERIOUS PROBLEMS ................................................................................................ 27 Independence of the newsroom ................................................................................................................ 27 Lack of respect..........................................................................................................................................28 Salaries..................................................................................................................................................... 28 Access to the news .................................................................................................................................... 29 Trainingandprofessionalization....................................................................................................... 29 JOURNALISM EDUCATION ............................................................................................................................... 30 OPINIONS ON JOURNALISM EDUCATION ......................................................................................................... 32 Workingjournalists.................................................................................................................................. 32 Management............................................................................................................................................ 33 EMPIRICOS VERSUS GRADUATES .................................................................................................................... 35 ETHICS ........................................................................................................................................................... 36 TRAINING ....................................................................................................................................................... 37 ROLE OF W OMEN ........................................................................................................................................... 38 INVESTIGATIVE RPEPORTING ...........................................................................................................................