Mr. William S. Cohen
Secretary of Defence
Department of Defence
Washington, D.C.
USA

Vienna, 3 May 1998

The International Press Institute (IPI) the global network of editors and media executives, is most concerned over plans by the United States and its allies to create a press-control agency in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

We understand that the proposed “Intermediate Media Standards and Licensing Commission,” which will be partly financed by the United States, is charged with drafting new laws to regulate broadcast outlets in Bosnia and will have the power to close radio and television stations and punish – through fines and otherwise – newspapers that it decides are engaged in “poisonous propaganda.”

While IPI understands the Western allies’ concern over inflammatory propaganda that can threaten the safety of its peacekeeping force, and also recognizes the well-meaning intention of trying to create a mechanism by which the media in Bosnia will be able to function along internationally accepted standards, we are deeply concerned about any attempt by an alliance of democratic nations to impose restraints on the media in another country.

A free and unfettered flow of news and information is essential to the development of democracy in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and elsewhere. By attempting to control the news that media outlets publish and broadcast, the proposed agency runs the risk of suppressing legitimate news and opinion, and would set a dangerous precedent for authoritarian governments desiring to curb news media.

IPI is also disturbed that the United States should be involved with the establishment of what amounts to a censorship panel. Rather than suppressing freedom of opinion and expression, the U. S. should be seen to be upholding the principles of freedom of speech and press freedom, as embodied not only in the First Amendment to the Constitution, but also in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that everyone has the right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

IPI therefore urges you to do everything in your power to ensure that the United States does not report to setting up this mechanism that could result in the restriction of the media’s right to freely gather and distribute news and information.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director