Peruvian journalist Gustavo Gorriti is currently facing an investigation by the prosecutor's office for the alleged crime of bribery and his communications have been requested. Several organizations have said the case is retaliation for his journalistic work. Gorriti spoke with LJR about this investigation against him, his response to the attacks and even the lessons that he’s gained from this process.
Directors of El Faro (El Salvador) and Confidencial (Nicaragua) pointed to risk assessment, complete trust between editors and reporters, legal defense and psychological support as fundamental elements to preserve the well-being and safety of their teams in the face of harassment, threats and criminalization.
Newspaper Correio do Povo, based in Porto Alegre, Brazil, has covered Rio Grande do Sul for almost 130 years. The floods that devastated the state in the first week of May took over the newspaper's headquarters and the homes of its journalists. The publication and its staff are trying to maintain their commitment to journalism and inform their audience at the most critical moment in their history.
The Governing Council of the Gabo Foundation recognized Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora with its 2024 Recognition of Journalistic Excellence for his more than three decades work revealing corruption and abuses of power in his country. Zamora has been in prison for more than 650 days in connection with multiple controversial judicial proceedings.
The board of directors of the Maria Moors Cabot Prizes, the oldest international journalism awards in the world, drew attention to the cases of persecution against Gustavo Gorriti, from Peru; José Rubén Zamora, from Guatemala and the team of the Venezuelan investigative journalism organization Armando.info.
The Inter American Press Association (IAPA), in its mid-year report on the state of press freedom in the Americas, warned about judicial criminalization and the threats suffered by journalists in Paraguay. LJR spoke with journalists in the country who have been intimidated for doing their work.
Between May 2 and 4, more than 2,500 people met in Santiago, Chile, for UNESCO’s 31st World Press Freedom Day Conference, with the theme “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis.” The event addressed challenges such as climate misinformation, threats to press freedom and the dangers faced by journalists, especially women, in doing this kind of reporting.
The importance of monitoring disinformation in political campaigns, the risks of using social networks to influence public discourse and the current role of fact checking were some topics that panelists from Argentina, Brazil and Mexico addressed at the International Journalism Festival 2024, in Perugia, Italy.
On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, which marks the theme “Journalism in the face of the climate crisis” this year, LJR presents a compilation of open opportunities for Latin American journalists covering environmental issues. They include everything from reporting grants to mentorship to awards of different levels.
The connection between press freedom and the many challenges facing the planet – including climate change – is the theme for the 2024 World Press Freedom Day. Under the motto “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the face of the environmental crisis,” May 3 arrives with discussions on how to guarantee journalists’ work as well as strategies to confront disinformation and denial of climate change.
During the first quarter of 2024, the Observatory of Journalists in Guatemala recorded 22 attacks and restrictions on the press. Although there has been a small improvement compared to the same period last year, organizations and journalists remain concerned about the criminalization of the profession in the country.
In a report from the Vladimir Herzog Institute, 10 journalists and communicators told how they have suffered threats and attacks for reporting on activities like mining and logging in the Brazilian Amazon. The document also offers safety tips and presents protective resources that journalists can turn to if they are in danger.