News Control Decision Reversed By Control Freak Politicians

Michael Hedges September 26, 2011 - Follow on Twitter

It is the dream of every politician; direct and absolute control over news. Just think; no more embarrassing reports, photos or articles. It’s all so easy in the digital age. But dreams sometimes meet reality and politicians make dreadful editors.

The administrative council of Spain’s public broadcaster RTVE awarded itself last week (September 21) full access to the news operation’s editing system. The board is composed of political appointees and trade union representatives. Board members aligned with the conservative Popular Party proposed the motion and voted for it. Socialist Party appointees and others abstained so the motion was approved with immediate effect. Elections will be held in barely two months and the Popular Party is leading in polls.

Without surprise, the RTVE News Council called the measure “crazy” and “opening the door to possible censorship or political control of the information content of public television.” Access to the iNews system would give board members the opportunity to change or delete content from television and radio news programs.

“This decision is a direct attack on the freedom and independence of journalists since it allows for the control of the content of newscasts while they are being prepared,” said the News Council statement.

RTVE’s board has taken direct control of the public broadcaster since president Alberto Oliart resigned in July. It was a bit of a conflict of interest matter; a contract had been given to a company directed by Oliart’s son. Sr. Oliart had been in office just eighteen months of a six-year term. His predecessor Luis Fernández quit in 2009 after two years in office. Rather than choose a new president before the November elections board members have rotated in the position monthly among themselves.

Politicians, particularly from the Popular Party, have long criticized news decisions at RTVE as sympathetic to the Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) of Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. But even the Popular Party realized the measure potentially giving RTVE board members editorial control over news content was a mistake. Politicians seldom consider that political fortunes can change.

“News on RTVE is not impartial,” said Popular Party spokesperson Esteban Gonzalez Pons, quoted by El Mundo (September 21), “but that does not mean we share the decision taken by the Board of RTVE.” Other politicians quickly distanced themselves from the decision, some saying advisors had led them astray.

Citing “the opposition and unease this decision has raised,” the Popular Party, in a statement (September 22), requested “its cancellation in an urgent meeting of the board called for that purpose.”

Abruptly board member Héctor Maravall, representing Spain’s largest trade union Comisiones Obreras (CCOO), resigned (September 23) from the RTVE board after a meeting with the union’s board. He had abstained in the vote to give council members access to the news editing system. In a statement, the union said Marawell “regretted” the decision and that his resignation should serve “as an example to those responsible for what happened.” Sr. Maravall had been this month’s designated board chairman. His resignation changed the political balance on the board.

In that emergency board meeting (September 23) the decision was reversed. All Popular Party appointees changed their votes. Those who had abstained two days earlier also voted to kill the measure. The vote was unanimous.

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