The short version
- Asppro, OPC and NAHJ met with Gov. Jenniffer González Colón on Oct. 9 to present complaints about restrictions covering La Fortaleza and government agencies
- NotiCel and El Vocero report the governor committed to resolve some issues immediately but no concrete actions have been taken
- Main demands include restoring a functional press workspace inside La Fortaleza, publishing an access protocol and ensuring timely responses from spokespeople
- Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano defended practices, cited 260 press conferences with 425 journalists invited and said an alternate workspace is available
Updates
Update, Nov 5, 7:51 PM AST
New reports add the government's first response from Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano defending practices and providing figures on press conferences.
El Vocero reported that in response to the journalism organizations' demands, Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano defended the administration's communication practices and rejected limiting live transmissions as a way to inform citizens directly. El Vocero reported He stated that the spaces "En Récord" and "Asunto Semanal" have held 260 press conferences with about 425 journalists and editors invited, not including those led by the governor or agencies.
Peña Payano said the La Fortaleza press room is undergoing improvements and an alternate area nearby has been enabled that is available to journalists regardless of scheduled events. He denied any policy to restrict journalistic work, attributed some delays to the executive agenda, asked organizations to identify non-responsive agencies, and defended digital platforms for direct communication with the public. Telemundo Puerto Rico also covered the organizations' call for access. Telemundo Puerto Rico reported
The new account from El Vocero does not contradict the earlier reports on the journalists' Oct. 9 meeting, unmet commitments or specific demands but adds the administration's rebuttal and explanations.
Unmet commitments
The Asociación de Periodistas de Puerto Rico (Asppro), the Overseas Press Club de Puerto Rico (OPC) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), Caribbean Region, demanded that the administration of Gov. Jenniffer González Colón take concrete steps to address restrictions and practices that hinder journalistic coverage, public information access and oversight of government management. NotiCel reported the organizations warned that journalists’ access to La Fortaleza and executive officials cannot depend on the discretion of officials or the administration’s convenience.
The demands were presented to the governor on Oct. 9 during a meeting with journalism representatives who described difficulties faced by reporters covering La Fortaleza and government agencies. According to both NotiCel and Sin Comillas, the governor committed to resolve some complaints immediately. However, nearly a month later those commitments have not resulted in concrete actions.
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What the sources posted
Posts and statements below are the sources' own words, quoted as published. They are not independently verified.
Los periodistas no están para validar discursos oficiales, reproducir mensajes gubernamentales ni servir a la propaganda de ninguna administración.
Our translation: Journalists are not there to validate official speeches, reproduce government messages or serve the propaganda of any administration.
The source's own statement, as quoted by NotiCel. Not verified by PuertoRico.com.
Key demands
The groups called for the restoration of an adequate workspace for the press inside La Fortaleza or its immediate grounds after the press room was closed without notice or a functional alternative. They also demanded guaranteed effective access to La Fortaleza even when no press conferences or official events are scheduled, and the publication of the access and coverage protocol announced by the government after requiring Department of State identification.
Additional demands include clear guidelines for agency communications teams to ensure timely responses to information requests, prompt release of the governor’s official schedule, and avoiding limiting major public announcements to social media transmissions that evade journalistic questioning. Sin Comillas reported the organizations stated that “transparency and accountability are obligations of the government, not concessions to the press.”
Criticism of simulated event and official statements
OPC president Wilma Maldonado Arrigoitía said journalists are not there to validate official speeches or serve as propaganda. She called a social media broadcast of an apparent press conference with no journalists present “a total mockery of the public.” Asppro president Nydia Bauzá described the practice as unacceptable and said officials should have questioned the absence of reporters instead of pretending while later arrivals were not allowed entry.
NAHJ president in Puerto Rico Harvey Cabassa stated the organizations are not seeking privileges but adequate conditions to perform their duty of informing and overseeing public power. The groups also denounced what they described as disdain and attacks on journalists’ credibility by Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano through expressions made on radio programs and podcasts.
Where the sources differ
NotiCel, Sin Comillas and El Vocero report the same core facts on the organizations, Oct. 9 meeting, demands and quotes from Nydia Bauzá, Wilma Maldonado Arrigoitía and Harvey Cabassa. El Vocero adds the full response from Jean Peña Payano with specific figures on press conferences, explanation of the press room closure as improvements with an alternate space available, and denial of any restrictive policy. NotiCel includes an additional partial sentence at the end about the press not being a political adversary. Sin Comillas adds one extra quote emphasizing that lack of transparency affects the people of Puerto Rico. Telemundo Puerto Rico covered the story but the available excerpt only quotes "Han sacado a los periodistas de La Fortaleza".
What the reports do not say
The reports do not state whether the governor herself has responded to the Nov. 5 demands, what specific commitments were made on Oct. 9, the exact date the press room was closed, any timeline for publishing the access protocol, or the content of Jean Peña Payano’s criticized statements on radio and podcasts. They also do not say if the organizations replied to the secretary’s rebuttal or provide independent verification of the 260 conferences and 425 journalists cited.
Sources
Every link below was opened and checked when this story was published and last updated. Official means a government body, agency or the organization itself; Reporting means a news outlet.
- Reporting Periodistas exigen acciones concretas para garantizar acceso a la prensa
- Reporting Periodistas exigen que se garantice el acceso a la información
- Reporting Organizaciones periodísticas exigen a La Fortaleza garantizar el acceso de la prensa
- Reporting Gremios periodísticos exigen acceso a la información
How we checked this
NotiCel, Sin Comillas and El Vocero reported the journalists’ demands and quotes; only El Vocero included the government response from Jean Peña Payano. Telemundo Puerto Rico also covered the organizations’ position. The administration’s rebuttal rests solely on the El Vocero account.
Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from the reports and statements listed above, and checked against them before publishing. It does not include original interviews. Spot an error? Email support@puertorico.com with a link to this story.
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