The Digital News Report 2023 reveals a declining interest in news in Latin America and the world, as well as a growth in the use of platforms such as TikTok to get information. LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) summarizes findings on news consumption in Argentina, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil.
After meeting during a Knight Center course on audio storytelling, two journalists collaborated across borders on an immersive podcast about a jailbreak of political prisoners that happened in the middle of Lake Titicaca in 1972. The course was a chance to meet, network and exchange experiences with colleagues working around the world.
To address the relentless violence and threats against journalists in Mexico, the human rights NGO Propuesta Cívica [Civic Proposal] established the Tejidos Solidarios [Weaving Solidarity] network. This initiative employs a unique methodology to provide psycho-emotional and legal support to the families of murdered and missing journalists. Additionally, it aims to honor their memory.
Although violence against journalism in the Caribbean hasn’t reached the levels of other parts of the continent, a recent increase of online attacks in Guyana is raising red flags, according to journalist Nazima Raghubir. She spoke about challenges Caribbean journalism faces, such as inadequate access to information laws and the reluctance of politicians to engage with the press.
After the arrest of José Rúben Zamora and the closure of elPeriódico — the newspaper he founded and ran —, several news outlets are defying government pressure and working together on investigations and fact-checking in Guatemala. Four journalists tell us how they continue to defend independent journalism in the country.
The Bruno and Dom Project, led by the French organization Forbidden Stories, brought together more than 50 journalists from 16 news outlets to continue the work of British journalist Dom Phillips, who was with Brazilian Indigenous affairs expert Bruno Pereira when the two were murdered in June 2022. LJR spoke with some of the journalists involved in this collaborative effort.
Latam Chequea, UNESCO and Chequeado seek to provide tools to more effectively combat the disinformation that circulates during elections through talks aimed at key actors in the electoral process - such as journalists, electoral bodies and high school teachers. The next talk aimed at journalists will be held on June 14.
Seven podcast festivals comprise the Ibero-American Circuit of Podcast Festivals (CIFESPOD, by its Spanish acronym). The circuit’s goals include gaining recognition of podcasting as a cultural industry, joining forces for fundraising, creating a Latin American award for best podcast, and strengthening the production of narrative journalism pieces in audio.
Following its line of innovation, Venezuelan independent news outlet Efecto Cocuyo launches a collection of NFTs, an element of blockchain technology, to raise funds and denounce the digital censorship suffered in Venezuela. The collection contains 489 images that represent the days that the news outlet has been blocked in their country.
The Wayuri Network, made up of Indigenous communicators from the Alto Rio Negro region, on the border between Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela, is celebrating its sixth anniversary in 2023. Claudia Ferraz, of the Wanano people, spoke to LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) about the work of the internationally-awarded network and the lessons from these six years of existence.
In May, a new cycle of the Climate Tracker Climate Journalism Mentoring Program began. It seeks to bring together journalists from Latin America and the Caribbean to produce climate stories, with a special focus on just energy transition. LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) spoke with editors and alumni of the program to learn more about the initiative.
Considering the media crisis in Venezuela, Academia Prodavinci, the educational division of the investigative journalism organization, launched a journalist training program this year. It seeks to train journalists and students in topics such as health, economics and gender inequality in order to contribute to the development of a more solid, contextualized and analytical journalism.