Since its new government took power, Argentina has seen independent media outlets shut and a progressive media law axed. Jeremy Dear reports


Stifl ing dissent M


artin Sabbatella’s victory was short lived. No sooner had a court allowed the head of Argentina’s media watchdog back in his offi ce than the police arrived to expel him again. Today the doors are locked, the staff evicted


and AFSCA – the body set up to oversee the implementation of a law to limit the dominance of big media corporations and create space for smaller, alternative voices – has been axed. The groundbreaking law – praised by the UN as “an example for the rest of the world” – was abolished by presidential decree. Sabbatella’s case, which he calls “an increasingly brutal


attack on freedom of expression”, is far from unique. Mauricio Macri’s government, which took power in December 2015, has wasted no time in tackling those who opposite it and its supporters. One backer is media conglomerate Grupo Clarín, whose publications promoted and helped fi nance Macri’s presidential campaign. Hundreds of journalists have been sacked, programmes axed and stations closed in an atmosphere described as “oppressive, suffocating and terrible for democracy”. At Radio Nacional, prominent journalists were sacked for political attitudes evident from their social media profi les. At Grupo Indalo, 25 journalists who had been critical of the government were sacked in a “business reorganisation”. Dissidents on radio, TV and in newspapers have been targeted. Among those was award-winning journalist Victor Hugo Morales. He was due to air a programme on the government’s fi rst month in offi ce; minutes before his show on Radio Continental – where he had worked for 30 years – management prevented him from entering the studio and fi red him. “They want to bring journalists in line and to discipline them by pursuing those who cause them too much trouble”, says Morales . “If there is a dissenting voice like mine – confrontational, well known and credible – it must be silenced.” He points to the government’s use of its advertising


purchasing power to silence criticism. “The media needs advertising. Now you have a government that terrorises the media, withholds money owed and withdraws advertising. For the fi rst time in our history, the three major sources of advertising revenue are in the hands of one government party. It means most media organisations take the decision to follow a pro-government editorial line and stop journalists from having any say over editorial policy.” Cynthia García, who worked with Morales, was also fi red: “We’re being kicked out because the company needs


18 | theJournalist Payback time for media giant


Argentina’s dominant media corporation, Grupo Clarín – which owns more than 250 newspapers, radio stations, TV channels and cable stations – is celebrating. The media law it fought


so hard to stop has been abolished. Restrictions on how many outlets one company can own have been scrapped. Many believe president


Mauricio Macri owes his narrow election victory to


fi nancial and media support from Clarín, which has sought to monopolise Argentinian media for a decade. Media regulator AFSCA


stood in its way; a new communications ministry was created to override AFSCA’s authority. Martin Sabattella, head


of AFSCA, says: “Monopolisation means voices other than the government’s will be harder to hear. Now the protections have gone, all


to favour their paymasters, Clarín.” Since the law was


abolished, Clarín has been able to acquire mobile phone operator Nextel. It now controls most of


the country’s communications - radio and television stations, major newspapers, cable operators, internet companies and the mobile phone and 4G market. In some cities in


Argentina, Clarín owns all media organisations.


government advertising ... No radio station in Argentina can survive without government ads. They can’t mess with Macri.” Accused of not paying for advertising booked by the


previous government, the regime is starving papers into submission. Titles and stations have been bankrupted and forced to close. Journalists at Grupo 23, Radio Rivadavia, Tiempo Argentino and others were not paid for months. Facundo Falduto, editor of Perfi l, a newspaper based in Buenos Aires, is worried: “How can any small publication survive if it doesn’t align itself with the government?” The president has appointed new heads of Radio Nacional


and national news agency Télam, which has said it will change its editorial line. When Macri appointed Hernán Lombardi as manager of


Channel 7, the station said it would no longer air the award- winning 6, 7, 8 current affairs programme. Cynthia García, a 6, 7, 8 journalist said: “Our programme and Victor Hugo’s questioned the role of the corporate media. We can see this as an attack on freedom of expression.” Lombardi, head of the Federal System for Public Media and


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