What is Freedom of the Press?

The Cornerstone of the IAPA is the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, which continuously monitors all violations of press freedom in the Western Hemisphere and reviews these violations in its semiannual reports. The committee works as follows:

Each country has a regional vice president who reports to the committee on the issues and developments affecting press freedom in that country.

Reports are reviewed and discussed twice each year: at the Midyear Meeting in the spring and at the General Assembly in October. The committee presents its conclusions and recommendations to the Board of Directors.

The press freedom reports and resolutions are widely distributed among governments, intergovernmental bodies and civil society organizations throughout the Americas and the world, with the help of the Global Coordinating Committee of Press Freedom Organizations.

Responses to a threat or violation of press freedom may vary from issuing a simple resolution stating that our organization is aware of a potential threat, to sending a special mission so that our members can investigate further or raise the issue directly with those responsible for the problem.