Honduras: Gov’t orders propaganda on TV and radio

Ecuador and Venezuela aren’t the only Latin American countries to have disputes over freedom of press.

In Honduras, President Manuel Zelaya ordered that all TV and radio stations must air government propaganda for two hours daily starting on Monday for ten straight days. Zelaya’s edict comes after having “poor relations” with the media since coming into power in 2005, and may be legal since the law allows for government to order broadcasters to transmit messages that are “of importance to the country”.

Honduran newspaper Tiempo Digital reports that the country’s main journalists association has demanded that Zelaya reconsider his controversial decision:

“For the Journalists College it has been a surprise to find out that the president wishes to impose his will on radio and television stations. In the past, the people have been disturbed by many de facto stations working for the government.”

(La Tribuna has the entire communiqué from the president of the Honduras Journalists College).

Sources (English)- CNN, BBC News, The Latin Americanist, Associated Press - Far and Wide

Sources (Spanish)- Tiempo Digital, La Tribuna

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