The International Press Institute (IPI) expects to return to the Dominican Republic to address the invitation issued last week by the Chamber of Representatives of that country.

The meeting with the Representatives was part of the Press Freedom Mission to the Dominican Republic carried out by an IPI delegation headed by IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie. John Yearwood, editor of the Miami Herald and IPI member; Pavol Mudry, vice chair of IPI’s Executive Board; and Mariela Hoyer Guerrero, IPI Press Freedom Adviser for Latin America and the Caribbean were part of the group which met with authorities, journalists, media executives and union members.

“We are very excited about a successful mission to the Dominican Republic and about the strong desire among the media fraternity there and many government officials to repeal criminal defamation. We will work diligently with our partners to that end”, Bethel McKenzie said.

The IPI mission found a favourable environment towards the decriminalization of defamation. The politicians expressed their belief in the importance of respecting the freedom of the press, and affirmed that the legal procedures against journalists in that country should not result in imprisonment.

The IPI delegation has argued in its mission to the Caribbean (visiting Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago) that if the law is not being used, it should not be on the books, because someone that disagrees with a publication could take improper advantage of the current legislation. The IPI is in advocating for civil treatment of the cases in order to avoid prison sentences.

The Attorney General of the Dominican Republic, Radhames Jimenez Peña, declared that he believes in freedom of speech, and supported the IPI’s position related to civil and not criminal sanctions in the defamation cases. Regarding the expected time to change a law he himself qualified as obsolete, he stated that it will not take long because there is a growing sensitivity about this subject.

The IPI, thanks to the local support of the Dominican Association of Journalists, also met with lawyers, experts in press crimes in the country and journalists that offered a general overview of freedom of the press issues in the Dominican Republic. It was also possible to talk to Johny Alberto Salazar, a radio journalist who was sentenced to 6 months in prison and a million of Dominican pesos. His case was dismissed by an appealing court last June 5.

Among the topics that concern IPI, one is the presence in the media of people not related to journalism, who have often been criticized for the political handling of sensitive information. Low salaries in the media also generate a situation in which journalists may often have 2 jobs, with one in a government institution which creates a conflict of interest.

In the Dominican Republic the possibility of creating a shared Code of Communication is also being discussed. It would result in the union of different laws that deal with areas such as movies, television, and radio, and the association of journalists. Pavol Mudry affirmed: the “Dominican Republic seems to be on a really good track for creating high-quality media legislation. Perhaps the media itself should do more to explain the duties and tasks to the public.” The vice-chair of IPI went on to say that the discussion should not be between the media industry and the politicians, because in his opinion it should involve the public.