Media in Danger

An international conference on terror and attacks against the press in Colombia

Organisers: World Association of Newspapers / World Editors Forum and Andiarios, in partnership with the Inter American Press Association.

Expected attendance: c. 200 executives from print and broadcast media in Colombia and abroad, press freedom groups, human rights advocates, journalists, academics, politicians, representatives of international governmental organisations.

Objectives:

To draw national and international attention to the plight of the Colombian press in the face of murders, kidnapping, etc.

To achieve progress on the protection of media professionals, including the reinforcement of Colombian press freedom organisations.

To establish a capacity-building programme for Colombian publishers and editors that will assist in building further independence through better commercial and journalistic performance.

Dates and location: 21, 22 and 23 March in Bogota

 

Programme

MEDIA IN DANGER

 

An international conference on violence against the media in Colombia

 

§       To draw national and international attention to the plight of the Colombian press in the face of murders and kidnapping.

 

§       To achieve progress on the protection of media professionals, including the reinforcement of Colombian press freedom organisations.

 

§       To establish a capacity-building programme for Colombian publishers and editors that will assist in building further independence through better commercial and journalistic performance.

 

22 & 23 March 2002

Hotel Casa Dann Carlton - Bogotá, Colombia

 

 

Thursday 21 March

 

20h00                Welcome cocktail at Museo Donación Botero

                                               

 

Friday 22 March

 

08h00 - 09h00    Registration

 

09h00 - 10h00    Welcome Speeches:

 

-                Gustavo Bell, Vice President of Colombia

-                Roger Parkison, President of WAN

-                Jaime Alberto Gáez, President of ANDIARIOS

-                Robert Cox, President of IAPA

 

10h00 - 10h45    Opening Session:

 

Keynote speech by:

 

-                Carlos Monsivais, Political Columnist and Author, México

 

 

10h45 - 11h30    Freedom of Expression in Colombia: A historical perspective

Jorge Orlando Melo, Historian and Director of the Luis Angel Arango Library, Colombia

 

 

11h30 - 11h45    Coffee Break

 

 

11h45 - 13h15    Session 1:

 

Terror against the media: testimonies from Colombian journalists.

 

Moderator: German Rey, Readers' Ombudsman, El Tiempo, Colombia

 

Panellists include: Francisco Santos Calderón, Former Editor, El Tiempo, Colombia; Omar Orlando García Garzón, Journalist, Radio La Voz de la Selva; Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, Author, Journalist & Historian; Pablo Camargo, Freelance Journalist; Jesús Abad Colorado, Freelance Photo Journalist; Iván Darío Cardozo, Freelance Journalist

 

 

13h15 - 14h30    Lunch

 

 

14h30 - 15h45    Session 2:

 

Terror against the media: testimonies from representatives of press freedom institutions

 

Moderator: Robert Cox, President of IAPA

 

Panellists include:

 

Armando Estrada Villa, Minister of the Interior, Colombia; Danilo Arbilla, Editor, Semanario Busqueda, Uruguay, and Former President, IAPA; Santiago Canton, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Organización de los Estados Americanos (Organization of American States); María Teresa Ronderos, Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (Foundation for Press Freedom); Gloria de Castro, Medios para la Paz (Media for Peace); Jaime Abello, Proyecto Antonio Nariño (Plan Antonio Nariño)

 

 

15h45 - 17h00    Session 3:

 

Press freedom under attack: a discussion about freedom of information in a democratic society and how to protect it.  The panellists will be editors and publishers of the biggest Colombian newspapers.

 

Moderator: Miguel Angel Bastenier, Editor of International Affairs, El País, Spain

 

Panellists:

 

-                Fidel Cano, Editor, El Espectador

-                Eduardo Fernández de Soto, Editor, El País

-                Rodrigo Pardo, Publisher, El Tiempo

-                Pedro Luis Mogollón, Editor, El Universal

-                José Eustorgio Colmenares, Managing Director, La Opinión

-                Sergio Fajardo, Assistant Director, El Colombiano

-                Sebastian Hiller, Editor, Vanguardia Liberal

-                Nicolás Restrepo, Managing Director, La Patria

 

17h00 - 17h15    Coffee Break

 

17h15 - 18h45    Closing Session

 

Resolution

 

Closing Speeches:

 

-                Enrique Santos Calderón, Editor, El Tiempo, Colombia

 

-                Representative of UNESCO

 

20h00               Dinner

 

Saturday 23 March

 

Managing Newspapers under Difficult Conditions

 

09h00 - 10h30    Session 1, part 1:

 

Strengthening business skills in the press in order to increase independence: experiences of publishers from newspapers in different countries

 

10h30 - 10h45    Coffee Break

 

10h45 - 11h15    Session 1, part 2:

 

Difficulties and challenges facing Colombian newspapers

 

-                Luis Miguel de Bedout, Director, El Colombiano de Medellín

 

11h15 - 12h30

 

Exchange of experiencies and proposals for development.  Training programmes

 

12h30 - 13h00    Closing Session

 

Conclusions and presentation of an action plan.