Although the number of murders of Brazilian journalists has dropped to only two cases in 2016, violations against the press have manifested in other ways. The annual report from the Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters (Abert) reported that, compared to 2015, last year saw a 65.5 percent increase in cases of violations to freedom of expression.
Ecuador’s citizens went to the polls on Feb. 19 to elect a new president who will face a variety of challenges, not least among them, the reduction of a steep fiscal deficit.
In Honduras, journalist Jairo López accused the president of the National Congress, Mauricio Oliva, of organizing a smear campaign against him through social networks, Tiempo Digital reported.
Just days before Ecuador elects a new president, journalist Janet Hinostroza received an explosive device at her workplace.
Renowned university journalism programs across Brazil will open courses on entrepreneurship, management and business from now until 2018, and many have already included the content into their curricula.
Venezuela’s National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) has ordered the suspension of CNN en Español and has kicked the network out of the country. Additionally, Andrés Eloy Méndez González, director general of the entity, said on Feb. 16 that the network will also be blocked on the internet.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in early 2017 that he was considering reducing the time of basketball games given the increasingly short attention span of the public, especially the so-called “millenial.”
Journalist Leandro Stoliar of Rede Record, who was detained in Venezuela while reporting on allegations of corruption, said he was treated "as a prisoner, a criminal" during the 30 hours he was detained. Stoliar said the press is not free to work in the country, where "information is a crime."
A radio announcer and the director of a radio station in the Dominican Republic were killed on the morning of Feb. 14 in the city of San Pedro de Macorís. According to EFE, an armed man entered the location and began firing several times. However, local media pointed out that there could have been two male attackers.
The Paraguayan government offered state advertising to the owners of the more than 200 radio stations in the interior of the country in exchange for disseminating news that is favorable to the government, according to various media in the country.
Judge Arnaldo Camanho de Assis, of the Federal District Court of Justice, suspended the censorship of Folha de S. Paulo's report on the blackmail carried out by a hacker against the first lady of Brazil, Marcela Temer. The decision came after Folha filed an appeal.
In Brazil, journalism administrators still face a number of problems reformulating their curricula and adapting to the new guidelines approved for the degree in September 2013 by the National Education Council.