Agência Pública, a prime example of the independent media landscape in Brazil, has launched two innovations during the month of its five-year anniversary: a cultural center to support independent journalism and an unprecedented interactive map on new journalistic initiatives in the country.
The cultural center, named Casa Pública, will be a space for the production, development, discussion and support of independent journalism and innovation in Brazil and Latin America. It will strengthen the production of content of quality and depth that is guided by the public interest and a desire to defend democracy.
The center, with an opening scheduled for March 19 in Rio de Janeiro, also aims to promote exhibitions and film screenings, support and host journalism events and create workshops and labs.
“In these five years, Agência Pública has persistently covered violations of Brazilians’ rights. Now, from Casa Pública, it plans to incubate new independent journalism initiatives and promote the exchange of experiences between professionals from around the world who are interested in investigative journalism and human rights,” the organization said in a release.
In addition to the new space, Pública also released the Map of Independent Journalism, a survey of collective projects that produce journalistic content, that were born on the Internet and that are not linked to major media groups, politicians, organizations or companies.
To date, 70 projects are listed, but other initiatives can be suggested through a form. The map seeks to understand how these independent projects function and are sustained in a moment of rupture and rebirth for journalism.
Founded in 2011, Pública was the first independent Brazilian agency for investigative journalism and emerged as a reference point for the independent journalism landscape in Brazil. It has a history of creating innovative projects, such as the use of comics to report, crowdfunding that distributes grants to support investigative reporting and fact-checking initiative Truco that examines the political debate in Brazil.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
