Legal actions against El País seek intimidation among Venezuelan media

Referring to the actions to be taken by the Venezuelan Government in response to the alleged image of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez portrayed by Spanish newspaper El País, well-known media expert Oscar Lucien said the Government seeks to intimidate Venezuelan private-owned mass media. The most significant sanction that may be imposed on El País, he reckoned, would be mainstreamed by its own readers, considering that the release of the fake image undermined the journal's credibility for not confirming the truth of its content.

In an interview with daily newspaper El Universal, Lucien underscored the following aspects resulting from the publication of the image:

1.- The sanction is imposed by the journal's readership. The newspaper made a mistake for failure to check the source of the image.

2.- Secrets in connection with Chávez's health spark uncertainty in mass media, which aim at bringing information to their audience. 

3.- It is also important to highlight the relevance of social networks, which in no time said the information was untrue.