The Venezuelan journalists’ union condemns that a public body dedicated to the training of qualified personnel has offered a three-month technical-professional training course for reporters, arguing that it “violates” the exercise of the profession, university studies and the Law of the Practice of Journalism.
“Train and certify yourself as a reporter. Consult and register at inces.gob.ve”, highlights a Twitter post from the National Institute for Socialist Educational Training (INCES), created in 1959 to promote the training of qualified personnel and which played an important role in the literacy of the Venezuelan population. .
The study plan described in the publication is aimed at people from 14 years of age and includes, among other points, spelling and basic writing, English, sociopolitical information and communication, ethics and legislation for the exercise of citizenship, handling cameras and digital photography.
However, Article 2 of the Law on the Practice of Journalism establishes that to practice the profession in Venezuela “it is required to have a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Communication or an equivalent degree, issued in the country by a University, or a degree legally revalidated; and be registered in the National Association of Journalists”.
The president of the CNP, Tinedo Guía, said on Wednesday that the course was “withdrawn” following they requested information regarding its scope.
Previously, Néstor Garrido, secretary of Professional Improvement of the CNP, had urged the government to respect the legislation and, on behalf of the institution, condemned the offer because, according to what he said, it is “misleading .”
The offer to “empirically” train press workers is part of a context in which the State and its institutions seek to “de-professionalize” journalism in Venezuela, he told VOA the secretary of the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP), Marco Ruiz.
Although there were no further details, last year, the Parliament with a pro-government majority set up working groups to review and reform the Law on the Exercise of Journalism.
In the absence of information, journalists and experts in the field preferred not to speculate at that time, but agreed that they might be looking to grant recognition to “alternative journalists.”
Since the late former president Hugo Chávez came to power, he promoted alternative reporters and community media, considered a “banner of the Bolivarian Revolution.” The initiative has been cataloged by different sectors as a way of promoting government propaganda.
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