Buenos Aires, Dec 11 (NA) – The outgoing president of ADEPA, Martín Etchevers, called for valuing the relevance of professional journalism as a democratic pillar, warned about attempts to silence critical voices, and highlighted the recent attitude of the national government to promote political dialogue.
During the end-of-year dinner of the Argentine Press Entities Association (ADEPA), Etchevers stated that “the tension between the press and power exists by democratic definition, and it is uncomfortable, but it does not need to be traumatic”, while warning that this tension is also reproduced in other areas such as football, where “journalists are intimidated with abusive lawsuits or defamatory campaigns”.
In a speech accessed by the Argentine News Agency, the media leader called for preserving the legal architecture that has allowed the development of investigative journalism in the country and expressed his support for the new Penal Code to respect the doctrine of the Supreme Court and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding freedom of expression.
Etchevers also valued the introduction of the single paper ballot as an institutional “improvement generated from the bottom up” and highlighted the key role of journalism in citizen training.
40 years after the democratic recovery, he recalled the contributions of journalism and the Justice system to rebuild institutional trust in post-dictatorship Argentina, and emphasized that the country needs consensus “not only macroeconomic, but also in terms of development, labor inclusion, educational quality and social mobility”.
In the face of the changes posed by artificial intelligence and digital disruption, Etchevers noted that “the function of journalism can be more necessary than ever”, and advocated for greater specialization and professional responsibility.
In this context, he demanded that the intellectual property of the media be taken into account in international agreements.
Finally, he thanked the representatives of the three branches of the State present at the event and stated that the sustainability of professional journalism “is not a corporate problem, but a democratic one”, since without it “the quality of public deliberation deteriorates”.
