With the growing popularity of podcasts, journalists often find themselves behind the microphone to report on investigations or news of the day.
But in an attempt to share their own stories, some are entering these audio spaces as the focus of reporting.
"Journalists tend to work hard, often at a frenetic pace, but they don't always stop to reflect on their profession, understand how other colleagues are working, or notice the constant transformations in our profession," Brazilian journalist Rodrigo Alves told LatAm Journalsm Review (LJR).
Seven years ago, Alves created the podcast “Vida de Jornalista” (Journalist’s Life) to learn more about the lives of colleagues he admired.
Like Alves, journalists and organizations interested in press freedom and innovation have found podcasts to be an ideal tool for reaching audiences and adapting to their consumption habits.
LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) spoke to the creators of five podcasts from the region that cover journalistic routines, threats to press freedom, legal resources, and even how newsrooms are incorporating ever-changing technologies.
In 2012, while covering the London Olympics and spending time with colleagues he deeply admired, Brazilian journalist Rodrigo Alves felt the urge to document what was happening with the profession behind the scenes: what production involved, which methods were used, which stories had an impact.
However, at the time, Alves "didn't even listen to podcasts," and the alternative, producing this idea on video, seemed very complicated. The idea didn't die, but was shelved until 2018, when he began producing a basketball podcast for TV Globo's sports website. Upon discovering this world, “Vida de Jornalista” was born in August of that year with the first season of 50 weekly episodes.
Periodista brasileño Rodrigo Alves, director
“It may be a pretentious goal, but the purpose of ‘Vida de Jornalista’ is, in some way, to document journalistic work in Brazil in various areas. From the beginning, I wanted to create a database of episodes that would be useful to journalism students, trained journalists, and also to non-journalists who enjoy good stories,” Alves said.
Unlike most current podcasts, which are studio-style conversations and usually accompanied by video, “Vida de Jornalista” has a narrative documentary format with a script, sound design and a soundtrack. "This allows me to delve deeper into the topics and create a more immersive listening experience. The idea is always to immerse the listener in the story," he said.
Now about to reach seven years on air, the podcast has more than 200 episodes and almost 300 interviews. It has four seasons of independent episodes and five thematic series: Memories (coverage of the past), Parallel Lives (about two young journalists in the first year of COVID-19), Elections (coverage of the political dispute in Brazil in 2022), Profiles (careers of great journalists) and Choice (an interactive format where listeners make journalistic decisions that define the development of the episodes).
The seasons and series don’t have a specific number of episodes, but are broadcast every 15 days. The 2025 season started last June. The majority of episodes averaged between 3,000 listens, with some even surpassing 10,000, Alves said.
“It's not a show with a particularly large audience compared to the big narrative podcasts,” Alves said. “The feedback from my colleagues is always very positive, which makes me very happy. Students often say they decided to study journalism or pursue the profession thanks to ‘Vida,’ which is both a little intimidating and very rewarding.”
Although the topics are local and related to Brazilian issues, much of it covers journalism in general. So, if Portuguese isn't your native language but you can overcome the language barrier, the invitation is open to journalists from the region.
Given the worsening situation of press freedom in the Americas, the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) decided to launch the second season of its podcast "Periodismo en riesgo" (Journalism at risk) this July.
Originally created in 2019 to discuss journalism, ethics, responsibilities and even the work of the IAPA, it has produced more than 65 episodes as of June 2023. Artificial intelligence, public media and governments, credibility and trust, and lessons learned from major journalistic investigations like the Pandora Papers are all at the center of a long list of episodes.
The first episode of the new season was released on July 21 and focused on the situation in Peru. It will be followed by cases from Mexico, the United States, and possibly Ecuador and Argentina.
The goal is to delve deeper into the situation in each country where journalism involves risk.
“Normally, when we talk about threats to the press, we hear about an isolated incident, but there's a whole context that explains why it's reached this point of severity,” Martha Ramos, president of the IAPA's Committee on Press Freedom, told LJR. “We believe a conversation is the ideal way to understand the evolution of each situation and each threat.”
The podcast format appealed to the IAPA because of "a slow, unhurried, open space for conversation that connects more with people," Ramos said. Furthermore, since it doesn't die like a radio show, it can be freely shared and repeated.
“Periodismo en riesgo” is available in Spanish on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, Acast, and soon, the IAPA platform.
Without a doubt, technology has been one of the most significant disruptions journalism has ever faced. Its rapid and constant evolution represents significant challenges for newsrooms around the world. Aware of this reality, 10 years ago, telecommunications company Telecom Argentina created the program “Redacciones 5G” (5G Newsrooms), whose mission is to "support journalistic work in the face of emerging technological frontiers, contributing to media sustainability, convinced of the essential role they play for democracy," Diego Fantini, press manager at Telecom Argentina and head of “Redacciones 5G,” told LJR.
With a team of journalists and specialists in various fields, they hold in-person and virtual workshops on topics including digital tools, SEO, and, most recently, AI. In addition to workshops, the program offers a monthly newsletter, an e-learning site, and, of course, a podcast.
Founded in 2020 and converted into a video podcast in 2024, it features conversations with "important regional figures" who exchange ideas, lessons learned and tools. Its microphones have featured voices such as the late Mario Tascón, founding partner of Prodigioso Volcán; Martin Baron, former Washington Post editor; Rosental Alves, director of the Knight Center that publishes LJR; Jeff Jarvis, former professor; Mari Luz Peinado of El País; Pepe Cerezo, director and writer at Evoca Media; and Ana Paula Valacco, community manager at JournalismAI; to name a few.
Although its roots are in Argentina, the podcast is designed so that any newsroom in the region can benefit from the discussions. Over the podcast's five seasons, with more than 50 episodes total, the team has leveraged these expert voices to inspire and encourage people to interact with technology, Fantini said.
Episodes such as “Social Media in the Media,” “The Evolution of Radio in Video Streaming,” “Praise Be to SEO,” “Journalism, Virality and Algorithms” and “The First Steps of AI in Journalism” are examples of Fantini's ultimate goal for the podcast: the democratization of information to follow the evolution of journalism through technology.
The podcast is available in Spanish on Spotify and on the “Redacciones 5G” website.
The rise of podcasts also motivated the Colombian Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP, for its acronym in Spanish) to experiment with new formats to communicate and disseminate the organization's work and mission.
Grabación del podcast Perifoneo de la Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa de Colombia. (Foto: Cortesía)
“Not only to reach new audiences, but also to better explain what we do and why it's of interest to the average citizen to know the importance of rights such as freedom of the press or freedom of expression and why they should be defended,” Cristian Mora, producer and editor of FLIP's “Perifoneo” podcast, told LJR.
Launched in 2021, "Perifoneo" is now in its fourth season, covering a variety of topics, including stories about the violation of press freedom in Colombia and other Latin American countries, and even analyzing topics that may be of interest to audiences outside the journalistic niche, such as mental health, cancel culture and artificial intelligence.
Each season varies in number of episodes, but typically ranges from 7 to 10. So far, they've produced 35 episodes, with an audience predominantly between the ages of 28 and 34. According to their figures, they are listened to in 64 countries, with the most notable being Colombia, the U.S., Mexico, Spain and Argentina.
Episodes featuring real-life cases, with specific allegations and that generally highlight the human element, create the greatest connection with audiences, Mora said.
“In narrative terms, there's a predilection for stories of journalists and their work, such as Jaime Garzón, Jineth Bedoya and Juan Pablo Barrientos,” Mora said. “In terms of analysis, we've received comments from people in the industry who have expressed concern about mental health within newsrooms, the exile of many journalists in Central America, and, in particular, various questions about the future of journalism schools and interest in continuing to practice and study this profession.”
Their most recent project is a miniseries called "After Censorship," which chronicles what happens in municipalities or areas of Colombia "when censorship prevails," Mora said. These stories have taken them to cities such as Valledupar (Cesar department) and Cúcuta (Norte de Santander).
While there is a strong local focus, Mora highlights that “Perifoneo” has published episodes on the situation of journalists in Ecuador, Nicaragua, and El Salvador, to name a few, and addresses topics that may interest audiences beyond the country's borders, such as the common threats journalists face.
Produced in Spanish, the podcast is available on the FLIP website, Spotify, Apple Podcast, Pocketcast and YouTube.
Analyzing trends, case studies, strategies and key tools for the media is the work of the Luca de Tena Foundation's Journalism Lab in Spain. The foundation team also wanted to innovate with other formats beyond print, seeking new audiences, but above all, to expand the reach of its content and explore other languages.
“The idea stems from a need shared by many professionals: to have a rigorous, calm and well-documented space where they can collectively consider the future of the profession,” Lluís Cucarella, CEO of Next Idea Media, editorial director of the Journalism Lab at the Luca de Tena Foundation, and director of the podcast “Futuro del Periodismo,” told LJR. “A place where the transformations in the sector could be addressed from the experience of those who are leading them, without falling into noise or superficiality.”
Launched in July 2022, "Future of Journalism" is released monthly (with the exception of August), with a total of 33 episodes, each lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. The average viewership per episode is between 1,500 and 2,000, and in some cases has reached as high as 3,000.
Each episode revolves around a single topic and is constructed through interviews with specialists, researchers or working journalists, complemented by documented analysis and cross-references, Cucarella said.
“Journalism is going through one of the most intense periods of transformation in its recent history: the emergence of artificial intelligence, economic pressure, a crisis of confidence, changes in business models, audience fragmentation, among many other factors,” Cucarella said. “We want ‘Future of Journalism’ to be a tool for thinking, for teaching, for discussing, and, above all, for listening carefully to what different players in the sector have to say based on their specific experiences.”
LluísCucarella
Although made and produced in Spain, a large portion of the audience is located in Latin America. Cucarella also works as a consultant in several countries in the region, which gives him insight into local needs. His guests also come from Latin America, highlighting the tools offered there.
“This regional reach is no accident: we have always viewed our work from a broad and inclusive perspective, convinced that Spain and Latin America share a linguistic and professional community that greatly benefits from mutual dialogue and ongoing collaboration,” Cucarella said.
“Future of Journalism” is available in Spanish on major platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Ivoox, as well as on the Journalism Laboratory website, where each episode is accompanied by flashcards, links and additional resources.
