RTVE Defends Editorial Independence Amid Polisario Front Coverage Controversy

In a statement published on Sunday after the resignation of its leaders, RTVE denied having banned its journalists from going to the Sahara to provide media coverage of a demonstration organized by the Polisario Front and its leader, Brahim Ghali.

"What has been refused, in compliance with the organization’s statutes, is to accept trips organized and paid for by interested sources," the management explained, referring to Article 10 of these statutes which stipulates that "travel paid for by sources of information will not be accepted when they are likely to undermine the impartiality of the information".

The document also recalls Article 9 of the statutes which obliges "audiovisual information professionals to respect the principles and ethical standards", stressing that "these rules also bind the directors and editorial managers of the various companies" of the entity. The management of RTVE "is working to send, by its own means, a team of reporters to Tindouf," the statement concluded.