|
Venezuelan media: Fact and fiction
|
View this Thread in Original format
| George Smiley |
Thought this could do with a thread for itself as the other Chavez thread's got drastically off topic!
One of the main criticisms of Chavez, and one of the greatest factors in his label as a dictator, is censorship of the media. Censorship of the media is a classic trait of a dictatorship - but does this describe the reality in Venezuela?
The accusation stems from the refusal of the government to renew the licence of RCTV, Venezuela's then most popular and most watched TV channel. The Western (and most of the Venezuelan media) reported this as censorship and the telling signs of a dictatorship, as well as lengthy reporting on the how police had to put down riots following RCTV's removal from the air (which I suspect many people get their views on police brutality from - but what would the police in our own countries do when confronted by a violent riot?!)
The removal from RCTV from the airwaves is the only instance of media "censorship" there has been in Venezuela as far as I can tell from what I've managed to find out. But they were only refused access to the frequency Channel 2 transmits on so a new national TV station could be set up - they can, if they want, transmit on Cable and Satellite, which suggests their opposition views are not the reason for this "censorship"
Anyway, I found some rather interesting articles from Zmag which is, admittedly extremely left wing but if you can overlook their spin and identify the facts it's a rather telling account of the reality of the media in Venezuela - which, completely at odds to the views of some on here, is dominated by the anti-Chavez opposition - including instigating a military coup against the government, something that would have them ALL shut down and thrown into prison in our countries - yet Chavez lets them continue to broadcast!
| quote: | Here are some of the facts and some of the context that the media have omitted or buried:
1. All nations license radio and TV stations because the airwaves can only accommodate a small number of broadcasters, far fewer than the number who would like to have the privilege to broadcast. In democratic nations the license is given for a specific term, subject to renewal. In the United States it is eight years; in Venezuela it is 20 years.
2. Venezuela is a constitutional republic. Chavez has won landslide victories that would be the envy of almost any elected leader in the world, in internationally monitored elections.
3. The vast majority of Venezuela's media are not only in private hands, they are constitutionally protected, uncensored, and dominated by the opposition. RCTV's owners can expand their cable and satellite programming, or take their capital and launch a print empire forthwith. Aggressive unqualified political dissent is alive and well in the Venezuelan mainstream media, in a manner few other democratic nations have ever known, including our own.
..........
RCTV - along with other broadcast news outlets - played such a leading role in the April 2002 military coup against Venezuela's democratically elected government, that it is often described as "the world's first media coup."
..........
If RCTV were broadcasting in the United States, its license would have been revoked years ago. In fact its owners would likely have been tried for criminal offenses, including treason.
http://www.zmag.org/content/showart...fm?ItemID=12962 |
| quote: | As with most questions about Venezuela, there is almost complete disagreement about what Venezuela’s media landscape looks like. According to the opposition, Chavez already controls most of the broadcast media, either directly, though state ownership or sponsorship, or indirectly, via supposedly repressive media laws. According to Chavez supporters, though, the opposition controls 95% of all media.
..........
Given the political positions and the relative audience shares of the different media outlets, we can divide Venezuela’s media landscape into three categories of opposition, neutral or balanced, and pro-government. Before RCTV’s demise it looked as follows:
Opposition: 50-55%
RCTV: 35-40%
Globovisión: 10%
Private local: 5%
Neutral or balanced: 30-40%
Venevisión: 20-25%
Televen: 10-15%
Pro-government: 20-25%
VTV: 15-20%
Other (Telesur, Vive, Community): 5%
Now, in the post-RCTV era there is indeed a significant shift, so that the media landscape could look as follows, if, as promised, TVes (RCTV’s replacement) does not become a pro-government channel, but is neutral.
Opposition: 15%
Globovisión: 10%
Private Local: 5%
Neutral/balanced: 30-40% or more
Venevisión: 20-25%
Televen: 10-15%
TVes: ??%
Pro-government: 20-25%
VTV: 15-20%
Other: 5%
..........
However, there are three unknowns that could change the ratio in favor of the opposition. First, those who used to watch RCTV might very well watch more Globovisión, thus increasing their share of the audience. Second, Venevisión could very well become more oppositional, now that many opposition supporters are looking for a new home. There are already first indications that this will happen, according to a recent news report in the weekly newspaper Quinto Dia.[5] And third, many lovers of RCTV who want to continue watching it but did not have cable access, might, if they can afford it, switch to cable to watch RCTV. Thus, if Globovisión’s audience share increases, if Venevisión moves back into the oppositional column, and if RCTV continues to attract a large audience on cable,[6] then the opposition to pro-government balance in the Television media could easily swing to at last 1:1.
..........
In any case, RCTV and the opposition have once again bungled the political situation. Instead of challenging Chavez in the political arena, they focused exclusively on legal challenges, international appeals, and confrontation. They could have organized a consultative (non-binding) referendum back in January, right after it was clear that Chavez would not renew RCTV’s license. Polls indicated that the up to 70% of Venezuelans did not want RCTV to go off the air. With only 10% of registered voters’ signatures the Electoral Council would have been forced to convoke a referendum on the issue. If the polls are accurate, the opposition would have won that referendum easily, thereby embarrassing Chavez and perhaps forcing him to renew RCTV’s license. Maybe this course of action did not occur to anyone in the opposition, but more likely is that they prefer to challenge Chavez in the legal and international arenas and on the streets than politically because actions that use Venezuela’s democratic processes would legitimate a political system that the opposition continuously decries as a dictatorship and whose ultimate goal it is to de-legitimate.
http://www.zmag.org/content/showart...fm?ItemID=12986 |
The popular view is that RCTV was taken off the air because of its political views. If this were true, the other opposition TV stations (that, remember, instigated a coup against the government!) would also have been taken off the air and RCTV would not have been given the opportunity to broadcast on cable/satellite.
I put it to you, the great people of Tranceaddict, that media freedom is alive and well in Venezuela!
In fact, considering the opposition TV station's role in the coup, it seems Chavez is allowing a far greater amount of media freedom in Venezuela than in our own countries, because I can tell you now that instigating (not even encouraging but organising!) a take over of the British government would have you thrown in jail under the Terrorism Act! |
|
|
| infinity HiGH |
There's a great documentary about Venezuela, Chavez and the coup that people should watch if they haven't yet. It's called "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" and can be found here: http://best.online.docus.googlepages.com/
GeoPolitics -> Countries -> The Revolution |
|
|
| George Smiley |
Link didn't work but this does:
[[ LINK REMOVED ]]
I think people need to watch this before commenting further on Chavez and dictatorship. Ironically it seems that media censorship IS rife in Venezuela, but it is the media themselves who seem to be the culprits... |
|
|
| Magnetonium |
Arent you guys the ones who also think that Putin is a dictator? :haha: :haha: :haha: I mean, Chavez is more democratic / socialist than Putin is, right? :haha: Just a thought ... |
|
|
| George Smiley |
| quote: | Originally posted by Magnetonium
Arent you guys the ones who also think that Putin is a dictator? :haha: :haha: :haha: I mean, Chavez is more democratic / socialist than Putin is, right? :haha: Just a thought ... |
Leaving Putin aside, if you want to label Chavez as a dictator then fine, but please back up your claims. Making a statement calling Chavez a dictator (or even stating actions he has taken that are characteristic of a dictator) simply will not do - provide evidence |
|
|
| Magnetonium |
| quote: | Originally posted by George Smiley
Leaving Putin aside, if you want to label Chavez as a dictator then fine, but please back up your claims. Making a statement calling Chavez a dictator (or even stating actions he has taken that are characteristic of a dictator) simply will not do - provide evidence |
Hey, I am not calling him a dictator ... yet. I am sick and tired of double standards applied to Russia ... Putin is no dictator, as much as some on here like to claim ... |
|
|
| B018 |
watch ``the revolution will be not be televised`` on video google and u will c how the media is so unfair with chavez and there is full liberty of expression contrary to what cnn or fox says
all lies |
|
|
| George Smiley |
| quote: | Originally posted by Magnetonium
Hey, I am not calling him a dictator ... yet. I am sick and tired of double standards applied to Russia ... Putin is no dictator, as much as some on here like to claim ... |
That's because nobody likes Russia! |
|
|
| George Smiley |
| quote: | Originally posted by B018
watch ``the revolution will be not be televised`` on video google and u will c how the media is so unfair with chavez and there is full liberty of expression contrary to what cnn or fox says
all lies |
Yep there's a couple of links to it further up this thread - a fascinating documentary and I would love to hear the comments of those accusing Chavez of being a dictatorship after they have watched it (tho I notice they're stayin away from this thread!) |
|
|
| Magnetonium |
| quote: | Originally posted by George Smiley
That's because nobody likes Russia! |
Why dont you just state it plainly instead of coming up with ridiculous lies and grossly misinterpreted ideas when talking about Russia and Putin? You seem like you know stuff too. But its not cool to just dig things out of your behind when then later on you're defending Chavez. Just a thought ... you got to have balance, or you'll lose your reputation and reliability. |
|
|
| B018 |
now the states are afaraid of russia
putin is no saint but russia is getting back the old power and that is not pleasing the states
don't forget russia has a lot of gas and oil and is in asia with china , iran,etcc
and the states imports 60 % of its oil
so am predicting another cold war |
|
|
| B018 |
| quote: | Originally posted by George Smiley
Yep there's a couple of links to it further up this thread - a fascinating documentary and I would love to hear the comments of those accusing Chavez of being a dictatorship after they have watched it (tho I notice they're stayin away from this thread!) |
watch also revolucion bolivariana o video google also
and the war on democracy , i just posted it
fascinating |
|
|
|
|
