Recent academic research on journalism in Latin America reveals threats to press freedom through disinformation and silencing tactics under dictatorships as well as liberal democracies. Scholars examined some of these challenges in the panel "Academic investigations of Latin American Journalism," held on March 29 at the 18th Ibero-American Digital Journalism Colloquium at the University of Texas at Austin.
Panelists addressed attacks on press freedom, disinformation, sensationalism, and the changing landscape in Latin American newsrooms. They advocated for stronger dialogue between academia and newsrooms, as well as new forms of cooperation to strengthen journalism.
Erich De La Fuente, international relations professor at Florida International University, opened the discussion by presenting research on how press freedom deteriorates in liberal democracies through subtle changes often invisible to society. De La Fuente emphasized the importance of identifying these warning signs early, comparing it to preventive medicine and medical check-ups.
His research primarily examined Argentina's case, observing how a democracy can face gradual threats to press freedom. Among the signs, De La Fuente highlighted how governments use state advertising as a control mechanism, not only withdrawing advertisements from critical media but also using public resources and companies to create or purchase new communication vehicles favorable to the government, as was the case under Cristina Kirchner, former president and vice president of Argentina, De La Fuente said.
"State advertising wasn't just government business, but also involved using Aerolíneas Argentinas, [state oil and gas company] YPF, and other state entities to direct resources toward creating media entities," he said. "Not just building some from scratch, but buying media through private groups."
De La Fuente described how governments pressure private companies to remove advertising from independent media, not through direct orders but through selective inspections and audits.
"They asked media companies: 'Is that light installed correctly? If you continue with this advertising, we'll send inspectors to check this light and that light at your factory,'" he said.
Other tactics against press freedom include using lawsuits as a form of pressure, even when governments know they will lose; systematically discrediting media; and deploying "trolls" to digitally attack journalists.
As solutions, De La Fuente recommended newsrooms acquire new skills, adopt better business management practices, and develop capabilities to identify disinformation campaigns; the introduction of media education from primary school onward; government and philanthropic support for alternative business models for journalism; and requiring online platforms to compensate news organizations.
"We must apply preventive medicine to press freedom because if we don't address this problem early, it becomes a cancer, and history tells us it's very difficult to reverse," he said.
Professor Gerson Luiz Martins and graduate student Silvio Monteiro Junior, both from the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, presented research on digital journalism's challenges in covering air disasters and combating disinformation in moments of crisis.
"I'm a journalist from my big toe to my last hair," said Martins, speaking in Portuguese. He emphasized the importance of self-criticism in media work. Their study analyzed tensions between media systems and aviation expert systems, particularly regarding source selection and expert consultation.
Monteiro, who brought 30 years of aviation experience as a pilot and search-and-rescue operations coordinator to the analysis, discussed how plane crash coverage offers insights into journalism's behavior during crises.
"A plane crash is traumatic and tragic. It disrupts society's rhythm and people's daily lives," he said. "Between catastrophe and society stands contemporary journalism in its mediating role."
Their analysis focused on Voopass Flight 2283, which crashed on August 9, 2024, in Brazil, illustrating serious misinformation problems. Fifteen minutes after the accident, air control agencies announced 62 people were onboard. Half an hour later, the airline confirmed this number. However, without verification, media outlets began reporting 61 victims. This discrepancy potentially harmed victims' families, the researcher said.
"There was uncertainty about whether a passenger was actually onboard," Monteiro said. "Who suffered most? The families."
The day after the disaster, news outlets approached Brazil's defense minister for commentary on the accident, despite his lack of necessary expertise, while ignoring competent aeronautical authorities.
Furthermore, sensationalism permeated coverage. Rede Globo even claimed access to the plane's black boxes and revealed disturbing details about passengers' final moments, despite black box data being protected by strict International Civil Aviation Organization data protection standards.
"I invite you all to imagine being in the victims' families' position. Imagine reading nationwide reports that your relatives died screaming," Monteiro said. "Is that journalism? That's the misinformation we need to combat."
Monteiro concluded with a reflective question for the audience: "The question isn't just how misinformation spreads, but what we're all doing to combat it."
Professor Vanessa de Macedo Higgins Joyce from Texas State University concluded the panel by presenting an overview of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas' research on transformations in Latin American journalism over the past decade. As a University of Texas at Austin graduate and one of the Knight Center's first staff members, Higgins Joyce brought valuable historical perspective.
"We've always maintained this focus on Latin American journalism with a commitment not only to provide training and news about challenges in the region, but also to present them in three languages," Higgins Joyce explained, highlighting the Knight Center's commitment to publishing in Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
Higgins Joyce described how these studies began "organically" in 2009, when the Knight Center established contacts with journalists from different media organizations who were beginning to work exclusively on digital platforms.
"They were starting to work more exclusively in digital media and changing journalism practices," she said. Even then, researchers identified significant changes in audience relationships, which became "very close," and in digital technologies' growing importance.
The Knight Center has published more than 20 works on the topic over the years, including a recent book compiling some of this research. Higgins Joyce said their focus has always been not only on studying Latin American journalism but also on regional and comparative differences, bringing Latin American studies to international academic publications.
"We've always maintained a central concern with speaking to journalism scholars and bringing issues to publications in Spanish, English, and Portuguese," she said.
Higgins Joyce then presented results from a comparative study conducted with Knight Center director Summer Harlow and San Diego State University Professor Amy Schmitz Weiss across more than 20 Latin American countries, analyzing journalism's evolution from 2013 to 2021. Based on the "hierarchy of influence" theory, the study examined transformations in platforms used, media size and reach, and collaborative initiatives between outlets.
Among the main transformations identified was journalists' sharp migration from analog and traditional media, such as radio and television, to digital platforms.
"We've seen a decline in journalists working for newspapers or identifying as newspaper journalists, and a very large increase in journalists saying they work in digital media, including digital natives," Higgins Joyce said. This change reflects not just technological transformations but a complete reconfiguration of the region's journalism ecosystem.
The data also revealed a clear trend toward smaller newsrooms, with many operating with just 1 to 5 journalists, and decreasing numbers in large media organizations.
The survey also analyzed Latin American journalists' social media usage, indicating increasing reliance on these platforms for reporting and, increasingly, for institutional promotion.
Finally, the research found a significant increase in women entering the profession and a trend toward younger journalists. According to Higgins Joyce, these demographic transformations "greatly influence the type of journalism practiced in Latin America."
Higgins Joyce concluded by highlighting innovation and increasing international collaboration among Latin American journalists, “to avoid focusing only on negative aspects,” she said.
Collaboration “has implications for security, but also for information dissemination and the impact of the news presented," Higgins Joyce said.
