An episode launched on Jan. 16 by Brazilian podcast Rádio Novelo Apresenta stirred controversy in some of the country’s circles of journalists, writers, and intellectuals. In what’s described as a “personal essay,” journalist and writer Vanessa Barbara tells the story, without including any other voice, of how she discovered her husband's infidelity and its aftermath in 2011. In Barbara's telling, following a clue left by her then-husband, she found an email distribution list where he and male friends shared intimate details about their female partners along with misogynistic comments.
Part of the interest in Barbara's story stems from the characters allegedly involved: according to her account, her ex-husband now "owns a publishing house," and "all the list members" have "prestigious positions” in news organizations and major foundations. Although she didn't name anyone, social media users quickly identified several writers, editors, and journalists as participants, most of whom came forward with responses ranging from apologies to questioning factual elements of the report. The case's impact led to the leaking of 14-year-old emails, and newspapers published stories about the incident. Barbara had previously published a book about the case in 2015, but it received much less attention. Her ex-husband, André Conti, took a leave of absence from his position as editor and partner at the prestigious publishing house Todavia.
Yet the podcast episode – called "CPF na nota?" – elicits ethical questions that extend beyond its surrounding controversy: should we consider narrative non-fiction podcasts journalism? How does the format differ from traditional media? What ethical and professional dilemmas arise in both cases, and why? When a mass media outlet presents a personal essay, can it justifiably expose third parties without giving them a voice, or does the impact create obligations similar to journalism?
LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) reached out to non-fiction podcast producers and scholars across Latin America to understand common practices in the industry. Interviewees emphasized the existence of a gray area between journalism and non-fiction podcasts, though both share similar ethical and legal challenges. They highlighted transparency, privacy concerns, the right to defense and considerations of public interest versus sensationalism as good practices common to both formats.
Rádio Novelo, which describes itself as "the country's largest producer of podcasts with journalistic DNA," responded via email that it would not comment. "We completely agree with the importance of this debate – and look forward to reading your analysis – but Rádio Novelo prefers not to comment on this matter at this time," executive director Marcela Casaca told LJR. Vanessa Barbara also declined to be interviewed. No Brazilian producers who where contacted agreed to speak publicly about the subject.
Rodrigo Crespo, executive of podcast development at Sonoro production company in Mexico, believes podcasts share more similarities with documentary films than traditional journalism.
"Journalism operates under different pacts with the audience," Crespo said. "I think it's closer to documentaries in how we present information, choose moments to show and use resources to create tension."
However, Crespo notes that although he considers many of his works documentaries, in practice, Sonoro takes the same care as journalism to offer balanced information, including multiple perspectives and nuances, while ensuring the right to defense.
"We use the same journalism tools, and if we mention third parties, we always, always seek out that person," he said. "Even if someone declines to answer us, we acknowledge that."
Colombian producer Laura Rojas Aponte, who has produced podcast episodes for outlets like Radio Ambulante and runs Cosas de Internet, noted that podcasting remains relatively new, having gained popularity in the last two decades, and "still feels like something novel." However, she said the conversation about ethics in media is long-standing and involves journalistic principles.
"The same standards that apply to print media apply to podcasts, video or photography. This means maintaining a commitment to information accuracy and investigative rigor," Rojas Aponte told LJR. "These journalistic values, such as seeking a comprehensive vision, remain fundamental, regardless of format."
Regarding podcasts presenting themselves as personal essays, Rojas Aponte draws parallels between the written press and podcasts. Almost all podcast formats, from interviews to long investigations, have text-based counterparts, she explained.
"So we can compare a narrative podcast to a story, a news podcast to the news, ... and a personal essay podcast to an opinion column," Rojas Aponte said.
Marcelo Kischinhevsky, professor at the School of Communication of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and author of “Cultura do Podcast - Reconfigurações do Rádio Expandido” (in English: "Podcast Culture - Reconfigurations of Expanded Radio"), says the podcasting market resists classification and contains various hybrid formats. He said there’s a significant niche of narrative podcasts operating at the intersection of journalistic language, audioblogs and serial fiction. Ethical problems often concentrate there, he said.
"Many of these podcasts are considered to be journalistic or claim this status, but they don't meet basic requirements of professional journalism, such as fact-checking, seeking balanced representation of voices involved in a given topic or maintaining transparency," Kischinhevsky told LJR.
He emphasizes that communication professionals, regardless of their field, must distinguish between "public interest" and what "interests the public." Audiences may engage with sensationalist and bombastic reports, but this doesn't necessarily indicate quality information.
"Journalism won't always handle pleasant subjects. It will touch wounds and cause discomfort. What we conventionally call narrative radio journalism, first-person audio journalism or narrative podcasting shouldn't shy away from doing the same," Kischinhevsky said. "But it needs to establish productive routines that prevent mistakes that can have overwhelming repercussions."
Among narrative non-fiction podcast producers in Chile, Colombia, and Mexico interviewed by LJR, all reported following journalism's principles regarding rigor with information while allowing for formal experimentation. Some precautions relate to privacy. At Radio Anfíbia in Chile, when a report might affect third parties, they do additional work, director Tomás Vizzón said.
"For sensitive cases that could impact others, we verify and review with more sources, or we might not publish at all," Vizzón told LJR.
He cites the episode "Agustina Kämpfer, No One Saves Themselves" from Anfíbia's Tanta Coraje podcast, where a journalist reports experiencing repeated harassment by her boss. The podcast aired after multiple reports about the case, and the accused had already spoken out, acknowledging some of his violent actions.
"We won't release a podcast with just one voice," Vizzón said. "We try to understand the phenomenon and, even in completely personal stories, we include expert voices, whether from mental health, sociology or education."
Regarding anonymity, whether for narrators or third parties, Laura Rojas Aponte believes it should be a last resort, recommended only for extreme situations, such as when lives are at stake.
"When possible, it’s preferred to use names and public information, following the 'no surprises' principle," she said, referring to the practice of ensuring all parties involved in a story (especially sources and subjects) know and are prepared for the information to be released. "Journalism is the opposite of secrecy."
The deontological dilemma – a set of professional duties versus the consequences of those duties – facing podcasters ultimately involves a broader discussion about who qualifies as a journalist, said Luana Viana, author of “Jornalismo narrativo em podcast: imersividade, dramaturgia e narrativa autoral” (in English: "Narrative podcast journalism: immersiveness, drama and authorial narrative.") Digital media has spawned numerous new communicators, from interviewers to information editors who select what gets published. Most potential conflicts in these cases mirror those in journalism.
"The dilemmas remain the same. We must exercise care when discussing others, even when the story is personal but involves third parties," Viana said. "Ethically, following journalism principles works best. Some might say: 'But what if someone hasn't studied journalism?' Today, everyone practices journalism. Anyone can be a journalist in terms of producing information, thanks to social media and the internet."
According to Viana, if everyone can be a journalist, then everyone can also consider the consequences of the information they share widely."
"We've seen many famous cases where journalists' carelessness with information destroyed lives," she said. "This also applies to digital, where the problem is more serious, because the production speed is much faster. But we must maintain the ethics that stem from journalism's traditional core."
Professor Marcelo Kischinhevsky recommends several good practices for communicators or aspiring communicators: responsibility (asking "What can or should I say? What impact will it have? Could my actions cause injustice?"), fact-checking ("sources rarely lack bias and can make material errors, whether from bad faith or memory lapses," he said), seeking balanced voice representation ("hearing all sides involved, except those promoting hate speech or misinformation"), and transparency in editorial decisions ("Why address this issue? What steps did we take to construct a narrative faithful to reality?").
Regarding transparency, podcasts often excel compared to other journalism forms, as narrators frequently discuss their investigations, challenges and decision-making rationales. Kischinhevsky advocates deepening these practices, including responding to interview requests from other media outlets.
"All media must explain and justify editorial decisions, whether digital native outlets, radio and TV stations, newspapers or magazines," he said.
Regarding the "CPF na nota?" episode, the professor believes Rádio Novelo "took a misstep" by not offering those accused of sexism, harassment and abuse a chance to defend themselves. Having labeled the story as a "personal essay" in the episode description doesn't exempt the producer from ensuring narrative balance and proportionately hearing other perspectives, he said.
"Considering the relevance of this type of narrative journalism in contemporary life, we should expect strong audience engagement, including demonstrations of sisterhood toward the journalist and social media backlash against those involved," Kischinhevsky said. "I hope this deepens the debate about best professional practices in the unregulated podcasting market, where ultimately, criminal law provides the only limit to broadcast content."
