One difference between Martelly and current president Préval may be a more repressive approach to the Haitian media. During a televised debate with Manigat on March 9, Martelly complained that journalist Gotson Pierre, the founder of AlterPresse, « didn’t like » him. Pierre had asked embarrassing questions. (AlterPresse, March 16) On April 6 a group of people saying they were Martelly supporters were at the Parliament building to « watch » the journalists. « We’ll block access to Parliament to any journalist suspected of working against the interests of the next government, » one of them told a group of reporters. (AlterPresse, April 6)

Three journalists at Haiti National Television (TNH), Eddy Jackson Alexis, Josias Pierre and Jacques Innocent, were let go on April 5 after a courtesy visit to the station by Martelly. The journalists accused TNH director general Pradel Henriquez of favoring Martelly during the campaign ; on April 8 Henriquez started defamation proceedings against them. (Radio Kiskeya, Haiti, April 8)