Freedom of the Press 2014: Trends in Latin America

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS 2014: TRENDS IN LATIN AMERICA

Selected data and analysis from Freedom House’s report

on global media freedom

July 2014

PRESS FREEDOM IN THE AMERICAS

38%

43%

43%

43%

19%

14%

Status byPopulation

Status byCountry

Americas Free Partly Free Not Free

2%

15%

67%

60%

31%

25%

Status byPopulation

Status byCountry

Latin America Free Partly Free Not Free

47.84

39.06

49.75

24.80

58.67

47.08

58.04

26.71 25.88

75.33

68.84

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

90.00

100.00

Regional and Sub-Regional Average Scores in FOTP 2014

Global Middle East and North AfricaRegion Subregion

AVERAGE SCORES 2004–13: A DECADE OF DECLINE

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

502004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Global Latin America

AMERICAS: BIGGEST GAINS & DECLINES 2009-2013

-15

-6

-5

-5

-5

-5

-4

-3

-3

3

4

6

-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10

Ecuador

Panama

Bolivia

Honduras

Nicaragua

Suriname

Guyana

USA

Venezuela

Cuba

El Salvador

ColombiaFree Partly Free Not Free

COMPARING PRESS FREEDOM IN LATIN AMERICA

18

26 31

45 51

54

61 62 64

78

90

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

LATIN AMERICA: 2013 DEVELOPMENTS

• Scores worsened in Honduras, Panama, Suriname, and Venezuela.

• Ecuador, Mexico remain Not Free.

Communications Law in Ecuador, NGO attacks in Mexico key issues in 2013.

• Paraguay improved back to Partly Free; less

pressure on public broadcaster, fewer libel cases.

• Modest improvement in Cuba due to decrease in arbitrary detentions, granting of exit visas.

LATIN AMERICA: CONTINUING ISSUES OF CONCERN

• Violence and intimidation (state & nonstate actors)

• Political polarization and authoritarian tendencies

• Ownership concentration

• Beginning of efforts to control or regulate

online/digital content

For additional information:

Please visit our website at www.freedomhouse.org

or contact Karin Deutsch Karlekar at

karlekar@freedomhouse.org @karinkarlekar