FOPEA expresses ‘extreme concern’ about possible repeal of Journalist Statute

The Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA) expressed “extreme concern about the national government’s push to repeal the Journalist Statute.”  The elimination of the Statute of the Professional Journalist is one of the controversial changes the Milei administration introduced in the labour reform bill it filed on December 11, which aims to loosen employment regulations in a bid to make it easier for companies to hire people. The bill will be debated in extraordinary sessions of Congress convened by the government, which began last week and will last until December 30.  FOPEA, the main nonprofit civil association for journalists, editors, academics, and media professionals in Argentina, called the statute “a fundamental regulatory framework for the uniform exercise of the profession throughout the country” in a statement published on its website. The Statute of the Professional Journalist, which has been in force since it was approved by Congress in 1946, establishes a special labor regime for professional journalists in Argentina. It grants protections stronger than those of the general labor law, including a reduced working day and enhanced job security, with a severance regime that aims to protect journalists from being fired for political reasons by granting additional compensation of up to 10 months’ pay if they are dismissed without cause. The regulation also recognizes professional authorship, protects journalistic sources, and safeguards professional independence, by establishing limits on being compelled to publish content that violates ethical standards. According to FOPEA, the elimination of the statute “affects acquired rights and the professional identity of journalists, and represents a serious setback that jeopardizes the quality and independence of Argentine journalism.” The organization recognized that the regulation — which has been amended five times since its original enactment — requires “necessary updating since it contains chapters that are not applied, articles that have become outdated and [it] does not contemplate new technologies and forms of work.” Yet, it said it “constitutes a pillar that guarantees the job stability of journalists, grants uniform rights throughout Argentina for the exercise of their work (always at the service of democracy and society), fights job insecurity and values ​​the professional task, giving those who perform it details about their rights and duties as employees.” “We are particularly concerned that the repeal would entail the loss of tools that ensure the protection of journalists and even the confidentiality of their sources,” they warned, calling them “essential elements for the free and independent exercise of the profession and for the investigation of matters of public interest.”  “The degradation of working conditions becomes an obstacle to freedom of expression and violates the public’s right to be properly informed,” they stated, saying that “this official initiative contradicts the government’s public discourse, which, through its spokespeople, champions the defense of freedom of expression.” The government has made no official comments on their proposal to repeal the statute. The Herald contacted the office of the president but had no reply by the time of publication.