Read more about media in (None part 1 and 2) Modou Posted on Thu, Apr. 18, 2002 Venezuelan news media are accused of inciting chaos BY FRANCES ROBLES [log in to unmask] CARACAS - As Venezuelans deal with the fallout of an attempted coup that briefly ousted President Hugo Chávez, the media have come under increasing scrutiny, as the government accuses the press of inciting rebellion and even aiding in the overthrow. News station managers have even apologized to viewers who complained about one-sided coverage that highlighted anti-Chávez protesters. The media here came under heavy criticism Saturday when the two main news stations, Venevisión and Globovisión, carried regular programming instead of showing footage of hundreds of thousands of pro-Chávez marchers demanding the return of their president. Saying journalists were being physically attacked by pro-Chávez protesters, the country's two most important dailies, El Universal and La Nacional, did not publish their Sunday editions. ''How is it possible that Venezuelans had to find out what was happening on their streets through CNN en espańol and [Colombia's] Caracol Radio?'' said Defense Minister José Vicente Rangel. While experts agree that reporters were being targeted, the failure to cover the nation's biggest story fed accusations that the media has gone beyond the role of government watchdog to engage in anti-government activity. The debate underscores Chávez's increasingly volatile relationship with the media and the role of the press in national politics. TOUGH TO RESOLVE The issue has become one of the most difficult Chávez must resolve. Already one of the largest and most forceful voices of the opposition, the press in Chávez's view deliberately conspired to have him removed. ''That's ridiculous,'' said Miguel Henrique Otero, publisher of El Nacional newspaper. ``You can be part of a rebellion -- and not a coup. The whole country was part of it; it's legal and constitutional.'' The president's war with the press goes back several years. As Chávez made more and more moves unpopular with upper- and middle-class Venezuelans, the press became increasingly critical of him. He fired back by sending his supporters to protest at local media offices. A bomb even exploded outside one newspaper building. Chávez prompted anger among journalists by proposing a news content law, and continually irritated the broadcast media by forcing them to air his hourslong speeches. The dispute exploded Thursday when Chávez -- desperate to quash coverage of the hundreds of thousands of people marching to demand his ouster -- went on the air for another long address. The TV media revolted by splitting the signal in half, showing Chávez on one side and the protests on another. So he silenced the stations. ''I had to do something I didn't want to do,'' Chávez said Monday. ``I had to knock out the signal when it was evident they were inciting violence and they were involved in the conspiracy.'' Chávez was ousted Thursday night. When his supporters took to the streets Saturday to rally for his return, the media didn't cover it. Many journalists were trapped in their newsrooms as angry mobs surrounded their offices. ''Carrying a camera, notebook, tape recorder or riding in a car with a news logo on it made you subject to attacks,'' said Nelson Bocaranda, a radio and television reporter. ``We were labeled enemies of the revolution. Nobody dared go outside. We can take the blame for one thing: for not being prepared for this.'' Others say the stations ordered them to stay home, and foreign news media who depended on the local networks for satellite feeds found access cut off. ''The pressmen didn't show up. Truck drivers didn't show up. Journalists were terrified and went home,'' Otero said. ``It was impossible to work. We couldn't publish.'' DENYING RUMORS But the lack of coverage, however it may be rationalized, has only served to fuel the argument that the media were complicitous in a coup. Venevisión owner Gustavo Cisneros had to go on the air Tuesday to deny rampant rumors that the U.S.-registered airplane ready to whisk Chávez out of the country belonged to him. ''We have not conspired, we do not want to conspire, we are not going to conspire, nor do we know how,'' Cisneros said. The controversy illustrates how difficult it will be to mend fences in Venezuela, where the most powerful institutions are at war with the head of state. Washington analyst Miguel Diaz, said the Venezuelan media assumed an adversarial role because of a ''political vacuum'' that occurred when Chávez took office in 1999. Important political parties had dissolved, the Supreme Court and congress were stacked with Chávez allies, so the media provided the checks and balances. ''It was an understandable crossover. There wasn't anybody standing up to Chávez,'' Diaz said. ``Those lines were blurred in Venezuela. I believe the media were somewhat irresponsible. They had good reason not to like Chávez, but they needed to go beyond that. It was a temptation to be retaliatory.'' On a visit here to review the political fallout from the coup, César Gaviria, the Organization of American States secretary-general, met Tuesday with both Chávez and media owners. Opposition politicians made it clear Wednesday that they planned to forge ahead with plans to criminally charge the president, as other legislators called for an investigation of the news media. ''There is very little trust,'' Gaviria said. Media owners ``have so many concerns regarding security, that it's difficult to talk to them about anything but that.'' Gaviria said the opposition should give Chávez a chance to moderate his policies. Otherwise, he said, the country risks more social unrest. ''This country has to learn from the traumatic events of last week,'' the OAS chief said. ``Episodes such as those that occurred have enormous risks in human lives.'' In a televised address Tuesday, Globovisión manager Alberto Ravells said he is willing to join Chávez in a national dialogue. He admits making the conscious decision not to broadcast pictures of the looting. ''We could have made mistakes. Maybe the role got distorted because of what was happening,'' Ravell said. ``If we had a blackout on information, if we made a mistake, we assume the responsibility. We ask forgiveness of viewers who believe we failed them.'' _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~