A report in Colombia’s Semana magazine alleging that more than two dozen national and international journalists were spied on by Army intelligence officials has led to uproar and calls for further investigations.
On World Press Freedom Day, Brazilian journalists were attacked, insulted and expelled from a Brasilia demonstration in favor of the Jair Bolsonaro government and against Congress and the Federal Supreme Court.
As it has done with most things, the current COVID-19 pandemic has made its mark on the annual celebration of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD), recognized each year on May 3.
A group of Latin American journalists is investigating another topic of great urgency in Latin America that has not dissipated with the current pandemic: violence against environmental leaders on the continent.
Since the new coronavirus arrived in Cuba, independent journalism has had to face the increasingly common fines of Decree 370, which penalizes the opinions of Cubans posted on social networks and digital platforms.
The crisis of the traditional journalism business model has intensified with the coronavirus pandemic. In Brazil, newspapers are laying off workers, cutting wages and slashing journalists' work hours.
Following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on the daily routines of people around the world, some Latin American media are dedicating spaces for the voices of those who want to share their stories, particularly those from the front lines.
About a month ago, journalists from 14 Latin American media outlets began planning a collaborative project to investigate issues related to the coronavirus pandemic. This is how Centinela Covid-19 emerged, bringing together organizations from 12 Latin American countries plus Univision Notícias, from the United States.
The rule is to work from home, however, for a certain group of press professionals, this isn’t a possibility. Photojournalists need to be on the streets to document the crisis closely.
The current pandemic highlights the need for journalists to work together as the coronavirus, as well as disinformation surrounding it, crosses languages and borders.
The reduction or suspension of print editions, salary cuts and mass layoffs. The coronavirus pandemic has hit the financial health of Latin American media companies at a time when journalistic work is essential for society.
To help arm journalists with knowledge and tools to cover the virus and the health, social and financial crises it is causing, the Knight Center is offering the free online course “Journalism in a pandemic: Covering COVID-19 now and in the future.”