President Javier Milei’s government has launched a new “Official Response Office” that it claims will tackle fake news published by the media and inaccurate reporting from journalists.
The decision comes just weeks after the US President Donald Trump’s government launched its own “Rapid Response 47” account for the same purpose.
More of a social media account than government office, the Milei administration’s new X account intends to “combat disinformation by providing more information” and distinguish “facts from narratives,” it claimed in its first post published Thursday.
The new communications tool will publicly respond to what the Executive considers “fake news.” It will also expose alleged “operations” by critical members of the press, it added.
“This decision is unequivocal: we are adding an official voice to debunk operations – the opposite of censorship. The right to freedom of expression is sacred to this administration,” the inaugural statement declared.
The account looks set to take a confrontational approach – its first post defined its activities at “actively debunking lies, pointing out specific falsehoods, and laying bare the operations of the media and the political caste.”
“Simply informing is not enough if disinformation advances without a response,” said the account.
Officials noted that the decision follows the withdrawal of so-called “pauta,” state advertising from the Presidency, which was previously distributed by discretion.
However, local media have shown in a series of articles that such funding still continues, though it is directed via state firms such as energy giant YPF and national carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas and involves far smaller amounts of money.
According to officials, by ceasing to “finance narratives through state advertising,” criticism and falsehoods have become “louder.”
“It is necessary to debunk them clearly,” they maintained.
The new account said that it would not seek to “convince or impose a viewpoint,” but rather to provide citizens with tools to “distinguish facts from operations and data from narratives.”
“Democracy is not strengthened by tolerating lies, but by exposing them,” the statement concluded.
Milei critics online quickly dubbed the new account the “Ministry of Truth” – a reference to the state body in George Orwell’s nightmarish novel Nineteen Eighty-Four.
In Orwell's famous work, the Ministry of Truth was dedicated to rewriting history and altering facts to fit the Party's doctrine.
President versus the press
Milei has long had a contentious relationship with the press, often insulting and vilifying journalists who have written critically about his government.
The President frequently rails against journalists on social media, targeting them individually, branding critical outlets as corrupt or “on the take.” He has stated that Argentines “don’t hate journalists enough.”
Media watchdogs, both domestic and international, have warned that press freedom in Argentina is deteriorating.
In its 2025 press freedom ranking, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) accused Milei of attempting to "stigmatise" journalists.
“Insults, defamation, and threats from Javier Milei’s administration toward journalists and media critical of his regime have become commonplace since he took office. In addition, new policies worsen pre-existing trends, such as the high concentration and lack of transparency in media ownership and the increasing precariousness of the journalism profession,” said the organisation.
Milei’s constant attacks have drawn criticism from press freedom advocates. Both Argentina’s National Academy of Journalism and the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expressed alarm over Milei’s rhetoric, warning against the dangers of stigmatising the media. ADEPA and FOPEA have also expressed concerns.
Since taking office on December 10, 2023, President Milei has not held a single press conference. He has only granted interviews to a small, carefully chosen circle of journalists, or international media outlets that are considered to be more prestigious.
Enquiries from the Times and other outlets from its parent company, Editorial Perfil SA, to government officials often go unanswered or are ignored entirely.
– TIMES/NA/PERFIL
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