UNDP and UNESCO Peru Organize a Seminar on the Risks of Journalistic Practice and How to Face Them

The event held in Cusco, on November 2, commemorated the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (IDEI).

Thanks to journalistic work we know the most important events in our community, but we also access facts that, at first glance, may remain hidden. Despite this, the press is not free from risks such as violence and stigmatization for doing what is its duty: keeping citizens informed in a truthful and timely manner. 

The right to freedom of expression depends largely on the press being able to work freely and independently, without suffering threats or attacks, something that remains a pending task. A total of 86 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2022, one every four days, according to UNESCO data.

UNDP

The case of Peru is also worrying, since between December 2022 and February 2023, more than 170 journalists were attacked, harassed, threatened, beaten and/or arbitrarily detained, according to figures from the Peruvian Press Council (CPP). 

Added to this is that the organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in its latest 2023 report, places Peru in 110th place out of 180 countries in the world ranking of press freedom, which represents a decrease of 33 positions compared to the year. past.

Enrique López-Hurtado, Coordinator of the Culture Sector of UNESCO Peru, emphasized that UNESCO, as a United Nations agency, “contributes to these objectives through the fulfillment of its mandate to promote “the free flow of ideas through words and images.” , basing our work on articulated work with States, journalists and civil society.”

UNESCO

“We are committed to a free press, capable of informing citizens without exposing the integrity of communication professionals, and we will continue working towards this, in collaboration with UNESCO and with trade associations such as the Asociación National Press”, stated Carla Zacapa, deputy resident representative of the UNDP.

UNDP

As part of the efforts to address this situation, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Peru, organized in Cusco the Free Journalism seminar : for a society with the right to information , on November 2, the date on which the “International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists” is commemorated.

This event provided key concepts to understand the threats that journalists face, as well as learn about the new scenarios in which the press can be threatened, such as disinformation, fake news and cyberbullying. 

UNDP

The first block included the participation of Federico Chunga, UNESCO consultant on freedom of expression and human rights; María Cristina Caldas, president of the collective A Mi No Me la Hacen; and Álvaro Beltrán, associate in Digital Democracy at the UNDP for Latin America and the Caribbean.

In the second block, the journalists Edith Sinchi Roca, from Radio Universal; and Renzo Chávez, general secretary of the National Association of Journalists of Peru (ANP) offered their testimonies about the state of press freedom in Cusco and at the national level, respectively.

Finally, the last space was made up of Dora Garrido, Coordinator of the Communication and Information Sector of UNESCO Peru, and Gladys Concha, main professor at the National University of San Antonio de Abad in Cusco. 

Source : Unesco