Press freedom in the Americas has worsened, says watchdog
Freedoms of the press and of expression in the Americas have seen a "marked deterioration" in the past six months, a leading advocacy group has said.
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) said there had been a "significant increase in direct and indirect censorship and physical attacks on journalists".
The Miami-based group said media workers in almost all the countries of the region had been affected.
"Physical attacks on journalists were also recorded during coverage of various election processes it added.
The advocacy group warned that governments could use existing laws to "meddle in editorial content and criteria".
It also said that the lack of transparency and access to public information continued to be an obstacle to the free practice of journalism in several countries.
The IAPA report came at the end of its 70th General Assembly, which was held in the Chilean capital, Santiago.
