Office of Official Response: The new government account to debunk 'lies' about Milei

President Javier Milei's government stepped up its stand-off with the media on Thursday by launching a social media account to "debunk" what it called media lies about the La Libertad Avanza leader.

The new account – the "Oficina de Respuesta Oficial de la República Argentina," or "Office of Official Response of the Argentine Republic" – was launched on X and had around 43,000 followers within hours.

In its inaugural post, which Milei reposted via his own account, it said it had been created “to actively debunk lies, point out specific falsehoods and expose the operations of the media and the political caste."

Milei framed the move as part of a broader battle against what he calls media disinformation. “To unmask lies and media operations. The end,” the President wrote on X quoting the initial post.

The La Libertad Avanza leader has regularly insulted and denigrated the press since taking office in December 2023. One of his slogans is: “No odiamos lo suficiente a los periodistas,” or "We don't hate journalists enough" – often abbreviated by his supporters as the Spanish-language acronym 'NOLSALP.'

The government claimed account will seek to challenge misreporting “by providing more information,” contrasting its approach with previous administrations, which it said censored opponents in both traditional and social media. It added that the aim was not to “impose a viewpoint” but to allow citizens to distinguish facts from “operations” and data from narratives.

The statement did not explain how the account would operate, who would manage it, or whether it would involve the creation of a new structure within the government.

Within hours of its launch, the account had posted its first two purported debunks, including a response to a headline published by the Clarín newspaper about a social welfare programme run by the Human Capital Ministry.

Milei often brands journalists “trash” and claims that 90 percent of media workers are corrupt. One of his first decisions as president was to suspend some of the government advertising spend in the media and shut down the Télam state news agency.

Over the past two years, he has also filed criminal complaints for slander and libel against several journalists and publicly singled out dozens more by name in online posts.

Domestic media association the Asociación de Entidades Periodísticas Argentinas (ADEPA) expressed “concern” over the launch of the new account, warning that the state “is a source of information, not the arbiter of public truth.”

It warned initiatives of this kind could act as “surveillance mechanisms” used to silence critical voices.

The Foro de Periodismo Argentino (FOPEA) expressed its "deep concern and rejection" of the move.

FOPEA warned of "the institutional gravity of setting up a 'truth tribunal' by the State" and stressed that "it is alarming that this initiative has been publicised on the official press account of the Presidency."

"Article 1 of our Code of Ethics reaffirms that the primary commitment of journalists is the search for truth, based on professional work grounded in journalistic rigour, fact-checking, multiple sources and intellectual honesty; never as the imposition of dogma," the organisation stated.

It added: "Journalism does not dictate categorical imperatives about what is true and what is not from a position of power; on the contrary, it works to provide verified information. The government's attempt to establish an indisputable 'official truth' clashes head-on with the essence of a free society."

Buenos Aires City lawmaker Laura Alonso (PRO) was another critical voice, warning that "

"If there is one area in which the state should definitely not intervene in any way, it is in 'manufacturing the truth'. There are no excuses," said Alonso, a former spokesperson for the City government, in a post on social media.

"Freedom of expression is the heart of democracy," she wrote. "Those of us who choose to be protagonists in public life are subject to scrutiny that also includes the expression of falsehoods, lies and operations. It is part of our job to respond, refute and be accountable."

"Never use the state apparatus to impose the 'official truth,'" she concluded.

The move comes after Human Rights Watch published a report warning about the “hostile rhetoric” used by Milei and senior officials to stigmatise journalists.

The new Milei government account has drawn comparisons with a page launched by the White House late last year, titled Media Bias, which names and shames outlets accused of publishing false or misleading coverage.

US President Donald Trump, a close political ally of Milei, has promoted similar initiatives targeting critical media outlets and journalists.

– TIMES/AFP

– TIMES/AFP