According to the Chapultepec Index, the Dominican Republic is ranked fourth in the Americas in regard to freedom of expression. Only Canada, Jamaica, and Uruguay are ranked higher.
The Index is part of the Inter-American Press Society (IAPA-SIP) and measures the freedom of expression and the freedom of the written word in the Americas. The Dominican Republic has climbed from 14th spot to fourth over the past two years. The Latin American average is 59.69, while the DR is ranked fourth at 78.3. Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba have the worst ratings.
In the Dominican Republic there are few restrictions, the citizenry are informed and freedom of expression is the norm, as the practice of journalism has considerably less restraints.
The Chapultepec Index, nevertheless, does not measure self-censorship of the media. Recently, Diario Libre executive editor Ines Aizpun pointed out the army of public relations lobbyists working to ensure that the media do not cover certain topics.
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Diario Libre
31 October 2022