5 and, needless to say, equality, understood not only as the right to be free from discrimination, but as the right to enjoy certain basic social rights.”9 Furthermore, free access to information is essential for the satisfactory exercise of political rights.10 24. Meanwhile, freedom of the press is one of the ways of implementing the triple functions of freedom of expression, insofar as it guarantees one of the spaces in which it is possible to exercise it. Moreover, it makes it possible to exercise freedom of expression by allowing the dissemination of ideas, news and information in vehicles with widespread coverage. However, as can be seen, despite its ability to reinforce freedom of expression, freedom of the press is not the only or the fundamental means of exercising it. 25. From this differentiation, it is evident that the re-establishment of the concession obtained by means of the judgment is related legally to the freedom of the press of RCTV, even though it may affect the freedom of expression of the petitioners. Thus, despite understanding the relevance of the freedom of the press being guaranteed under the democratic rule of law, the renewal of the concession in this case, as a corporate right of a legal person, should not have been granted by this Court because, substantively, the Convention only allows physical persons to have access to the inter-American system of petitions. 3.2. Freedom of expression and freedom of the press in the context of the 2002 coup d’état: application of Article 13 of the American Convention 26. In light of the content of the right to freedom of expression and its realization in contemporary societies, mainly through the media, it can be affirmed that the media play a lead role in this deliberation, as they allow individuals to access both the relevant information and a variety of perspectives that are necessary for reaching reasonable and informed conclusions on public matters.11 27. The scenario of the April 2002 coup d’état, as the Inter-American Commission verified in situ was characterized by the fact that the Venezuelan media did not always act responsibly or ethically. RCTV took part in and contributed to the so-called communications blackout that occurred at the time, which hindered Venezuelan society’s access to vital information on the institutional crisis experienced at the time, a conduct that seriously undermined freedom of expression and the democratic rule of law.12 Thus, any person could have lodged a petition with the IACHR against the State owing to the actions of RCTV and other companies, which is not what is being analyzed in this case. However, when evidence or proof in this regard is found in the analysis of a case, it should be taken into account when establishing and quantifying responsibilities. 28. As we have seen, the media allow members of society to exercise their right to seek and to impart information. Therefore, the media owes its primary duty of responsibility to the public, rather than to the government. The main purpose of the media, and freedom of expression Special Rapporteurship for freedom of expression (Inter-American Commission for Human Rights). InterAmerican Legal Framework regarding the right to freedom of expression, OEA/Ser.L/V/II CIDH/RELE/INF.2/09, Washington D.C., 2009, para. 9. 9 Special Rapporteurship for freedom of expression (Inter-American Commission for Human Rights). InterAmerican Legal Framework regarding the right to freedom of expression, OEA/Ser.L/V/II IACHR/RELE/INF.1/09, Washington D.C., 2009, para. 5. 10 Special Rapporteurship for freedom of expression (Inter-American Commission for Human Rights). Freedom of Expression Standards for Free and Inclusive Broadcasting. OEA/Ser.L/V/II IACHR/RELE/INF.3/09, Washington D.C., 2009, para. 5. 11 Report of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Venezuela (2003): http://www.cidh.org/countryrep/Venezuela2003eng/toc.htm, consulted September 3, 2015. 12