Milei's New Official Response Office: An Attack on Freedom of Expression?

Argentina - Ekhbary News Agency

Milei's New Official Response Office: An Attack on Freedom of Expression?

Argentine President Javier Milei has institutionalized a confrontational approach to the press with the launch of the "Oficina de Respuesta Oficial" (ORO), a mechanism designed to respond to reports and content that the government considers inaccurate. This move has sparked significant concern regarding its implications for freedom of expression and journalistic integrity in Argentina, with critics viewing it as an attempt to politicize information and manipulate public discourse.

The establishment of ORO is not an isolated event but rather a culmination of Milei's political trajectory, which has been marked by an openly adversarial stance towards the media since his early days in office. Notably, within his first few months as president, Milei famously stated that "we don't hate journalism enough," signaling a clear intention to reshape the relationship between the government and the press.

In its initial days of operation, the ORO has already produced incidents that highlight its potential reach and impact. The fact-checking website Chequeado reported that the official government account attributed claims to the outlet that were not present in the original infographic concerning the labor reform debated in the Senate. This content was subsequently reposted by Milei himself, amplifying its dissemination across social media platforms.

According to Chequeado's findings, the official government account labeled ten assertions as false, despite these claims not appearing in the original material. This occurred even though the infographic was based on an official text of the approved bill. This discrepancy raises serious questions about the ORO's commitment to factual accuracy and its methods of engaging with journalistic work.

This episode reveals more than just a dispute between the government and the press; it signifies an attempt to position the State as a direct arbiter of public information verification, while simultaneously challenging the authority of established media outlets that perform this role. When a government assumes the function of policing its own information, the debate shifts from mere facts to a fundamental question of who holds the power to define what constitutes public truth.

The traditional intermediaries – journalistic enterprises and newspaper owners – appear to be sidelined. The current conflict seems to be directed at journalists themselves, many of whom are unfortunately working under precarious employment conditions. The ORO's actions further reveal a concerning trend: the personalization of confrontation. Instead of engaging in data-driven discussions, the structure has begun to name and shame individual professionals, often overshadowing the media organizations they represent.

A particularly emblematic case involved journalist María O’Donnell, a prominent figure in Argentine media. During a television appearance, questions she posed were subsequently declared false by government-affiliated channels. Even isolated interventions have become targets for official responses that, rather than clarifying issues, serve as public displays of power, akin to symbolic warnings to those producing critical information.

The Chequeado case serves as a raw example of this dynamic. By listing assertions not present in the original infographic on the government's labor reform and labeling them as false, the government account presented a distorted version of the published material. The discussion has moved beyond data and into a contest over who possesses the power to impose their narrative as legitimate.

This shift reflects a broader transformation in how government-press conflicts unfold. Previously, these disputes primarily occurred in the regulatory or economic arenas. Today, they predominantly play out within the fast-paced flow of social media. In an environment where a significant portion of the public consumes only headlines or fragmented content, public accusations of falsehood can rapidly erode the credibility of the original source.

Similar initiatives exist in other countries, such as Brazil's "Brasil Contra Fake" and Mexico's "Infodemia." The underlying strategy is to contest the legitimacy of information produced by other actors directly within the digital spaces where it circulates.

Ekhbary News Agency