Paper fights junta
Opposes Sandinista censorship
By Debbie Howlett
Of the Emerald
Emerald editor Debbie Howlett recently
returned from an 11-dav trip to Nicaragua.
This is the final story in a series of five.
For all of the support the Sandinistas are
able to show visitors, opposition to the
government is easy to find in most areas,
and especially from one newspaper.
In an effort to prove the Sandinista
government is a repressive regime, people
point most often — and most noticeably —
to censorship of the media, especially the
opposition newspaper, La Prensa.
La Prensa was, during the Somoza
regime, the Sandinista's biggest voice of
support. Just prior to the revolution,
Somoza had Pedro Chamorro, then editor
of La Prensa, gunned down in the street.
The killing, which outraged the Nicaraguan
people, also left the door open for
Chamorro's family to take over publication
of La Prensa. But the family became divid
ed, and three members of the family could
not agree on the editorial stance the paper
should take. So they started their own
paper.
JOINT JOURNALISM
Chamorro's brother Xavier edits El Nuevo
Diario. Chamarro’s two sons, Pedro Jr. and
Carlos, run La Prensa and Barricada.
After the Sandinistas took control. La
Prensa drifted away from its support of the
revolutionaries and is now the only
Nicaraguan newspaper to oppose the
government.
But just how much opposition actually
comes out through the newspaper is a sub
ject for debate. Roberto Cardenal, assistant
editor of La Prensa, says up to 20 percent of
the news is censored. He holds a manila file
folder, about three inches thick, full of
Xerox copies of censored articles.
WE GET DISCOURAGED'
"We get discouraged," Cardenal says. "I
used to write editorials. Now I don't. They
get censored."
But editorials are not the only things cen
sored by the government.
Several reporters from Oregon watched
as the communiques from the Communica
tions Ministry came back to the editorial of
fices. An editorial column, written by Tom
Wicker for the New York Times News Ser
vice, received minimal changes. The words
anti-Sandinistas and insurgents were
ordered changed to contra-revolutionaries.
Three photos and captions were banned
altogether from publication. Two of the
photos were of busses — one of which
showed too old a bus, the other, too crowd
ed a bus.
Cardenal says the Sandinistas are
definitely "interested in keeping (La Prensa)
alive" so that the government can point to
the paper as an example of their tolerance
for opposition. But Cardenal says the paper
always has the option to run a different
news story.
"If the meaning of the article is changed
we will scrap the whole piece," Cardenal
says.
SANDINISTA CONTROL
And Cardenal has, like most editors,
strong political opinions about the
government.
He believes there is a tremendous power
struggle going on in the Sandinista junta,
the official body of Nicaragua.
"I'd pay to be in a meeting where they are
close together and making a decision,"
Cardenal says.
Cardenal is also concerned about the
veracity of the elections.
The Sandinistas own and control both
television stations operating in Nicaragua.
The government also provides a large
amount of financial backing for both the
Barricada and El Nuevo Diario.
"What kind of election can you have
when the media is in the hands of the
FSLN?" Cardenal asks.
PRIVATE CONCERNS
If freedom of the press is not allowed,
freedom of speech is guaranteed, accor
Continued on Page 8
CARLOS f. CHAMORRO B.
Swb-Director
XAVIIR RCYIS A.
BARRICADA©
TCKFONOS:
7 CORDOBAS
dm Lueho mo> <*
Somocistas degollan 18 campesinos
EPS aniquRa 115 Destfas
* 20 combatlentea cmh heroic amenta
EL NUEVO DIARIO »2.0i
UN PERIOOISMO NUEVO PARA EL HOMORE NUEVO
Oockx ioq *av«< CNmono C
Sub (Vector D» D»*ho Aqwf^S
-asaa
Penetro de Costa Rica en Rio San Juan
Otro avion derribadc
DtCANO Oft PERIOOISMO NACIONAl
\I'\H1 \IM» N«. I«
AL SERVICIO DE LA VEROAD Y LA JUST'ClJ
Managua, SAbado 10 de Septlembre de 1983
Sin l.ihrrtad dr Prrnsa n<> hat l.ihrriud
TKI.KX 37$-Ml
(>34«
10
PAGINAS
EDICION No. M.7N
Informan que derribaron avion
Repeien atoque aereo a Gbalsa
Trope* dal EJ4rctto Popular Sandtnuta. acantona
da* «n la baar mill [or d* Cibaiiu *n el Deporlamenlo
de Diva*, repelleron un alaque u*rro unochr. mjar
mb hoy el Mmnwrio d« Defenta
El tubcomandanlr Roberto Sdnchet. ;eft de Rela
none* Publico* del E PS. dijo qur el mtento de atoque
te produjo a eeo de Ian nete de la noche por parte de
I ret avion** no idmti/lcodo* que llegaron con p race
dencia del etpac 10 a«r*o coatarriern**'
El anunclo fue hoc ha por el importable funcionario
milltar, deepu*i qu* la o/lcina a su cargo injormara
del dorribamlento de olra a*ronav# ocurrido a yet
miimo ruondo 'ealuabu maniobra* de apoyo a lo*
frupo* rontrarr«voiuc‘onarlo* qw operan en aquella
El alto milltar Iftformd oyer del alaque al Pur-t
de Corinta. en que doe avionee de combat* T 2*. bon
bardvorun el d'ea donde eitdn lot lanqur* dr cut
buitlbl*. de lot cualet roeultaron dot con d a no* I*
»*M • I* »*q 10 Ma
Ante Grupo Contsdora
Costa Rica propone base
para la paz de Centroamerica
El imulmlr e* *1 train d* rrunmnra dr cancillerea con prrugu* la d*mocr*cl» minor su dt-Mnar pnliiu
I* prnpumt* de <t*l* Rica voradas por el «rupo dr rrprratntativa Drnanu librrmrni. »m Hmitm »m
our nrraento *1 mimatro dr hum* vnlunfart Itamarfn dr "»'» «r rrrwrrian la* yilrrnas m mm-rt-m us •
'.a Prensa is the only newspaper in Nicaragua that openly opposes the
government.
Robert Cray Band!
Ballroom 9:00-11:30 p.m. Experience the Robert
Cray Band. Dance to the West Coast s premiere
"rhythm and blues" band. A Cultural Forum event.
$ 1.00 at the door.
Recreation Center 6:00-11:30 p.m. half price
billiards and bowling, free shoes rental. FREE
Refreshments. And our Feature Event: Video Game
Tournament.
Craft Center 7:00-9:00 p.m. We ll have
demonstrations in studio areas of the center, the
main lobby and the Main Desk area. Sign up for
drawings on prizes that include ceramic mugs, two
memberships and a workshop. Entry forms
available all day.
demonstrations and visit with hosts from 20
competitive clubs. 167 EMU.
Outdoor Programs 8:00-10:00 p.m. Come see
an exciting multi-media slide show followed by a
discussion of outdoor recreation available through
the program. Outdoor Program Room, basement of
EMU.
Main Lobby 8:00-10:00 p.m. Refreshments, EMU
Food Service. Our EMU slide show will run
continuously.
Main Desk 8:00-11:30 p.m. Free Check Cashing!
Free Popcorn! Free coupons good for 10% discount
from sales area. And buy a Monster Cookie for only
25* while they last.
ASUO Suite 4 7-9 p.m. Student Government Free
Reception.