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Watchdog in Ecuador fines media over unreported story

Accusations of censorship made by opposing organisations

Sunday, 23rd April 2017

The country's president has praised the law that allows media to be sanctioned.

Seven media companies in Ecuador have been fined for not publishing a story believed to be in the public interest.

A story alleging offshore dealings involving opposition politician – and recent presidential candidate – Guillermo Lasso.

The story appeared last month in Pagina 12, a left-wing newspaper in Argentina.

In a ruling, Ecuador's media watchdog said that a number of outlets – television channels Televicentro, Teleamazonas and Ecuavisa, and newspapers El Comercio, La Hora, Expreso and El Universo – had a duty to cover the story.

Appeals are underway as each side accuses the other of censorship.

Supercom, as the watchdog is know, fined each of the companies US$3750 in a move described by superintendent Carlos Ochoa as a punishment as well as motivation for improving journalism in the country.

The mechanism to fine media companies was introduced in 2013 by President Rafael Correa.

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