The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has appointed Brazilian journalist Elisabeth Costa as its new secretary general. Costa, whom the IFJ describes as a “veteran campaigner for union rights and press freedom in Latin America,” will be the first woman and non-European to hold the post.
According to the group, Costa was chosen unanimously from a “strong field of candidates” who were interviewed for the post. She will replace Aidan White, who held the post for 24 years.
Costa has served as an international editor for Rede Globo and as president of the Rio de Janeiro Journalists’ Union and the National Journalism Federation (Fenaj).
The IFJ works for press freedom issues internationally on behalf of its more than 600,000 members in 125 countries.
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.
