Editing Mass media in Venezuela (section)

===Bolivarian Revolution===
The Venezuelan media initially supported [[Hugo Chávez]] after his election in 1998, supporting the changes he proposed for Venezuela.<ref name=Nelson1>{{cite book|last1=Nelson|first1=Brian A.|title-link= The Silence and the Scorpion |title=The silence and the scorpion : the coup against Chávez and the making of modern Venezuela|date=2009|publisher=Nation Books|location=New York|isbn=978-1568584188|pages=1–8|edition=online}}</ref><ref name=USdosDINNER>{{cite web|title=CODEL BALLENGER 4/27 DINNER WITH MEDIA OWNERS|url=https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/146760.pdf|website=[[United States Department of State]]|access-date=16 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231131539/https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/146760.pdf|archive-date=31 December 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> However, when the media began to report "negative realities" occurring in Venezuela, the Chávez government began to view the independent media as an enemy.<ref name=USdosDINNER/> After Chávez established his position of power in Venezuela by removing political barriers, the independent media began to criticize Chávez in a similar manner to the way other Latin American countries would have their media criticize their own governments.<ref name=SimonMEDIA2>{{cite book|last1=Simon|first1=Joel|title=The New Censorship Inside the Global Battle for Media Freedom|date=2014|publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]|location=New York|isbn=9780231160643|pages=47–48}}</ref> The independent Venezuelan press then became opposed to Chávez, fearing that he would ruin the economy and Venezuela's democracy.<ref name=Dinges>Dinges, John. ''[[Columbia Journalism Review]]'' (July 2005). "Soul Search", Vol. 44 Issue 2, July–August 2005, pp52-8</ref>

The Chávez government responded by making laws that would threaten the revocation or fining of media organizations,<ref name=StPet>David Adams and Phil Gunson, ''[[St. Petersburg Times]]'', 18 April 2002, [http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/2002/04/18/Worldandnation/Media_accused_in_fail.shtml Media accused in failed coup] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100707160417/http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/2002/04/18/Worldandnation/Media_accused_in_fail.shtml |date=7 July 2010 }}</ref><ref name=p7378NELSON>{{cite book|last1=Nelson|first1=Brian A.|title-link= The Silence and the Scorpion|title=The silence and the scorpion : the coup against Chávez and the making of modern Venezuela|date=2009|publisher=Nation Books|location=New York|isbn=978-1568584188|pages=73–78|edition=online}}</ref> while Chávez and his officials would also combat the media by calling out reporters by name, which angered members of the media, sparking dubious reports and articles.<ref name=Dinges/> Fears arose among the media when Chávez would call out journalists by name,<ref name=p7378NELSON/> with such polarization becoming so intense that eventually journalists "were regularly attacked in the street by Chavez supporters".<ref name=Dinges/> In June 2001, the Chávez-filled Supreme Court ruled that the media could face consequences for "half-truths" and shortly after in January 2002, the headquarters of ''El Universal'' was assaulted by hundreds of Chavistas, Globovision reporters were attacked while attempting to record Aló Presidente and there was a bomb attack on newspaper ''Así Es la Noticia''.<ref name=p7378NELSON/> Months later following the [[2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt]] in April 2002, Chávez used a "two-pronged strategy" in which his government strengthened its own media and "closed, browbeaten or infiltrated almost every independent outlet."<ref name=ECONfit2print>{{cite news|title=News that's fit to print|url=https://www.economist.com/news/americas/21588083-nicol-s-maduro-continues-hugo-ch-vezs-campaign-against-media-news-thats-fit-print|access-date=30 June 2015|agency=[[The Economist]]|date=19 October 2013}}</ref> In 2004, the [[Law on Social Responsibility on Radio and Television|Law on Social Responsibility in Radio and Television]] was passed, and in 2010 it was extended to the Internet and social media in 2010, requires media companies to "establish mechanisms to restrict, without delay, the dissemination of messages."<ref name="Fossett">{{cite web |last1=Fossett |first1=Katelyn |title=How the Venezuelan Government Made the Media into Its Most Powerful Ally |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2014/03/11/how-the-venezuelan-government-made-the-media-into-its-most-powerful-ally/?wp_login_redirect=0 |access-date=8 February 2015 |website=Foreign Policy}}</ref><ref name=SimonMEDIA1>{{cite book|last1=Simon|first1=Joel|title=The New Censorship Inside the Global Battle for Media Freedom|date=2014|publisher=[[Columbia University Press]]|location=New York|isbn=9780231160643|page=51}}</ref>

By the time of Chávez's death in 2013, he left a transformed media atmosphere in Venezuela with the media organizations that opposed him being silenced and an expanding state media as a result.<ref name=SimonMEDIA1/> Media workers face legal barriers, [[defamation]] lawsuits from Venezuelan officials or are targets of violence.<ref name=SimonMEDIA1/> Both Chávez and his successor, [[Nicolás Maduro]], would pressure media organizations until they failed by preventing them from acquiring necessary resources.<ref name=FPpeter>{{cite news|last1=Pomerantsev|first1=Peter|title=Beyond Propaganda|url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/23/beyond-propaganda-legatum-transitions-forum-russia-china-venezuela-syria/|access-date=27 January 2016|work=[[Foreign Policy]]|date=23 June 2015}}</ref> The Venezuelan government would manipulate foreign exchange rates for media organizations so that they could no longer import their resources or fine them heavily.<ref name=FPpeter/> The government would then use a [[front company]] to give the troubled organization a "generous" offer to purchase the company.<ref name=FPpeter/> Following the buyout, the front company would promise that the staff would not change but would slowly release them and change their coverage to be in favor of the Venezuelan government.<ref name=FPpeter/>