During the Monday, 8 April 2024 press meeting, President Luis Abinader presented the Bill on Freedom of Expression, Audiovisual Media and Digital Platforms that seeks to update current legislation on freedom of expression. The draft law would replace Public Expression Law 6132. It would create the National Communications Institute (Inacom) that would replace the National Commission for Public Entertainment and Radio.
The bill contains provisions to regulate audiovisual and social media platforms. Since the administration of Leonel Fernandez in 1996, the Dominican government is the main source of revenue for media and journalists in the Dominican Republic, with government spending billions on advertising, propaganda and sponsorship and appointment of journalists in government. Present spending is at more than RD$6 billion a year.
Media representatives have protested recent laws and bills submitted by the government to further control journalism in the country.
El Nuevo Diario reports that the bill on freedom of expression is now ongoing public consultations and would be submitted to Congress in mid-April 2024.
To prepare the draft, the government created an honorary advisory committee with Namphi Rodríguez, coordinator; the president of the Newspaper Society, Persio Maldonado; the president of the Dominican Association of Journalists (CDP), Aurelio Henríquez; judge Hermógenes Acosta; the academic and communicator, Elvira Lora and Erick Raful.
The announcement also comes with the protests after the passing of National Intelligence Agency Law 1-24 that would oblige journalists to reveal their sources. The government has yet to finalize the ruling for the implementation of the law.
In a timely contribution, Diario Libre managing editor Benjamin Morales comments on 9 April 2024 on the difficulties fake news is creating for media companies around the world and how the outcome of a case in Brazil could affect freedom of speech legislation around the world.
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Presidency
El Nuevo Diario
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
9 April 2024