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.
Digital media outlets CIPER (Chile), Agência Pública (Brazil) and La Antígona (Peru) have innovative financing models involving their audiences that have allowed them simultaneously to support themselves financially and strengthen their bonds with readers. These media shared 10 strategies to optimize reader contributions.
To show the impact of an historic drought on the agricultural industry, a team of journalists from La Nación spoke with more than nine rural producers. They also spoke with specialists to learn about the tons of cereals that were lost, as well as how much money never entered the market.
Vanina Berghella, director for Latin America and the Caribbean of the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM), presented the fund's work in the region during the 17th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism. According to Berghella, IFPIM works with two main approaches: direct assistance to media outlets and encouraging changes in the media ecosystem.
Attacks on the press are undoubtedly one of the main challenges for media and journalists in Latin America. Talking about the state of digital journalism in the region also implies knowing the obstacles to press freedom. Journalists from Guatemala, Peru and Venezuela spoke about these challenges during the 17th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism.
The situation experienced by Nicaraguan journalists is one of the worst in the region, and was at the center of the debate, alongside examples of resistance and perseverance in the face of adversity, during the panel “Journalism in Nicaragua” at the 17th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism.
At the 17th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism, Patricia Mercado, director of Conexión Migrante, explains how the media outlet offers quality information to Latin American migrants in the U.S., to migrants crossing Mexico, and also to those who have yet to arrive in the country.
Through presentations of just five minutes during the 17th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism, journalists from Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Colombia, Honduras and Cuba presented a series of projects that aim to keep journalism alive and to continue telling stories about Latin America.
At the Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism, part of the Americas team at Internews shared how cross-border approaches can empower local journalism, mitigate disinformation and help media survive.