|
The
Way of CELAP
On
the eve of the second Latin American Journalism Convention,
held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, July 8-10, Roberto Eisenmann,
Jr., Chairman of the Board of Latin American Journalism Center,
known by its Spanish acronym, CELAP, commented on the organization
that has trained 1,950 journalists from 22 countries.
|
|
|
Roberto
Eisenmann Jr., ex-editor of the daily La Prensa,
in Panama, is the Chairman of the Board of CELAP. Next
to him, Winston Robles, publisher of La Prensa.
|
Pulso:
How has the transition from the Latin American Journalism
Program to CELAP gone?
Roberto
Eisenmann, Jr.: When Charles H. Green and J. Arthur Heise
of Florida International University (FIU) came to Latin America
five years ago, proposing to the present Board of Directors
of CELAP that we support this program, from which Central
American media had benefited for so many years, we could not
turn them down, so we jumped on board. Thanks to FIU, the
transition from LAJP to CELAP has been smooth. In the beginning,
the most significant difference was the shift from no-cost
seminars that included airfare, lodging and per diems,
to paid seminars.
One
of the first challenges CELAP confronted was convincing the
owners of the various media of the importance of training
and updating their personnel. Those seminars, which were once
subsidized by USAID (United States Agency for International
Development) were turned into seminars with an average registration
fee of $350.
Fortunately,
as the media experienced the value of these courses, they
started to accept the costs of our seminars, workshops, lectures
and meetings. At the same time, we started to get some support
from various Foundations.
The
Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation, which has given CELAP
$50,000 a year for three consecutive years for operating expenses,
has been a cornerstone in this process. In addition, Abitibi
Consolidated Sales Corporation donated $150,000 for three-year
scholarships for journalists in print media.
P.:
To what extent have the media contributed to the development
of CELAP?
R.E.:
Some media supported us with donations of $60,000 each for
the establishment of this center. With the funds CELAP inherited
from PROCEPER, the total came to $600,000.
More
than 35 media owners, journalists and educators have contributed
their valuable time to the meetings of the Board of Directors,
twice a year, and even have conducted workshops for CELAP,
in so far as possible. Some of the people I’m talking about
are Rosental Calmon Alves, Carlos Alberto Montaner, Jorge
Ramos, Eduardo Ulibarri, Gustavo Gorriti and Andrés
Oppenheimer.
P.:
How have the universities participated?
R.E.:
Take the case of FIU. The Latin American Journalism Center
has worked directly with the media and collaborated with other
universities in sponsoring two-hour conferences for students
alongside the seminars for professional journalists, taking
advantage of the presence of international figures in the
country.
The
universities have collaborated with CELAP in promoting events,
especially the conventions, in which more than 40 students
from Panamanian universities have interned.
P.:
And the professional associations?
R.E.:
We have had a lot of interaction with the Latin American professional
associations in terms of organizing activities. We have done
this in Puerto Rico, Honduras, Ecuador and Panama.
P.:
Does CELAP fulfill the regional role for which it was conceived?
R.E.:
Yes. Since the first Latin American Journalism Convention,
in which CELAP was launched, we have organized more than 54
activities, training 1,950 journalists from 22 countries.
P.:
What challenges must be overcome before CELAP becomes definitely
consolidated?
R.E.:
None. We only need to continue working.
P.:
Are we seeing in the region the changes in educational level
necessary for the training of future journalists.
R.E.:
Yes. Journalists today are better educated and prepared than
those of five and ten years ago. The universities are adjusting
their educational system to provide the students with practical
experience before sending them out to the workplace. Once
there, foundations like ours organize training sessions which
the media are ever more disposed to pay for.
P.:
Has the center found political difficulties in carrying out
its mission, in Panama or elsewhere in the region?
R.E.:
Fortunately, no. We have organized seminars with titles such
as "Investigation and Writing: the Business Operations
of the Armed Forces of Nicaragua", "Investigative
Journalism against Corruption in Panama," and others
in that vein without provoking the political parties. Latin
America has grown and the governments understand that it’s
not in their best interest to oppose this type of event. It
is important for them that the national and international
communities perceive them as being against corruption and
for freedom of speech.
P.:
What do you think are the primary areas that need work to
improve Latin American journalism?
R.E.:
Ethics, investigation, and freedom of speech.
P.:
From an economic standpoint, is CELAP viable?
R.E.:
From the beginning, the center has tried to cover expenses
with the income from the seminars. It is viable if we organize
seminars in each medium, but to organize international events,
with a higher cost for all parties concerned, we need some
sort of sponsorship. To some extent, we have accomplished
this in almost all the international seminars.
P.:
How do you see the future for freedom of speech and freedom
of information in Latin America?
R.E.:
Our democracies are relatively new. The gravest danger we
face is the tendency to censor ourselves, accustomed as we
are to the authoritarian governments of the past.
(June
29, 1999)
|
