any action prohibiting the dissemination of the press is illegal and a criminal offense. Attacks on journalists through judicial acts are frequent, however, especially by powerful and wealthy entities. Defamation is a criminal offense in Peru and individuals often accuse jornalists of this offense in censorship attempts. Into the 2010s, violence and death threats against press workers saw media freedom decline in Peru. Freedom House described Peru as "partially free" in their Freedom of the Press 2017 report. Verbal attacks against press workers by politicians increased into the 2020s, with far-right groups in Peru being documented attacking journalists by Reporters Without Borders. Allegations of self-censorship among mainstream media occurred during the 2021 elections, with the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism reporting on possible collaboration of the media with Keiko Fujimori's electoral campaign. In January 2022, Judge Jesús Vega found an author, his book's publisher and the director of the publisher guilty of defamation for their book investigating multimillionaire César Acuña, with the judge arguing that certain allegations lack sufficient sources and fining the entities $100,000, with the funds being awarded to Acuña. According to journalists, this created a dangerous precedent for press freedom since Vega suggested that sources used by press workers must be approved by an authority figure. Media pluralism According to Reporters Without Borders, media pluralism in Peru is lacking and poses a threat to freedom of information in the nation, especially with a lack of government regulation. El Comercio Group is the largest media conglomerate in Peru and one of the largest in South America, owning 80% of newspapers, receiving 65% of online readers and generating 57% of revenue among Peru's largest media organizations. Like many media organizations in Peru, El Comercio is owned by a family, the Miro Quesada family, which also owns América Televisión. The Miro Quesada family and its El Comercio Group has typically supported right-wing political candidates, including President Alan García and Keiko Fujimori. Grupo República also owns multiple entities including La República and supports center-right politics. For television channels, América Televisión, ATV and Latina receive 57% of the national audience viewership. In radio communication, CRP, Panamericana de Radios, RPP Group and Universal Corporation control much of the market, with CRP and RPP owning more than the legal limit of 20% of frequencies in Lima according to Reporters Without Borders. See also Cinema of Peru , est. 1980 Freedom of the press in