As part of the Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS), researchers surveyed more than 4,000 journalists in 11 Latin American countries and highlighted significant challenges regarding job security and workplace conditions.
Several panelists presented the results at the 18th Iberoamerican Colloquium on Digital Journalism this Saturday, March 29, in Austin.
Sallie Hughes, a professor at the University of Miami, spoke about surveillance and intimidation of journalists in the region.
Hughes said 27% of journalists surveyed reported having been subjected to some form of surveillance in the previous five years. Within the workplace, she added, the survey showed bullying was common and impacted female journalists more than their male counterparts.
She also mentioned the issue of job insecurity, as almost half of journalists surveyed lack full-time contracts, as many work for multiple platforms and many take on additional jobs.
The professor also spoke about concerns for safety. She said that more than 70% of journalists worry about their mental well-being, almost half fear for their physical safety, and many, especially women, face economic insecurity. The way to deal with these situations is to have support networks, she said.
"Journalists rely more on each other than on government institutions," she said.
Hughes emphasized the need to document not only the attacks but also the resistance, underscoring the importance of institutional support for press freedom in the region.
“In Mexico, journalism is facing an unprecedented crisis,” said Armando Gutierrez Ortega, a professor at the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC).
The journalist and professor shared that since 2018, with the arrival of a populist government, journalists have been under constant threat, facing a systematic strategy of discrediting, harassment and information control.
Gutierrez mentioned several strategies of control implemented by the government, which use precise tactics to weaken critical media outlets: cutting advertising funds, disqualifying them with terms like "conservative" or "posh," and constant media attacks.
The figures are revealing: one attack every 24 hours.
Five out of ten journalists suffer direct insults.
He said digital surveillance has become a tool of control, with software like Pegasus being used to spy on journalists. The disclosure of personal information has also become a common practice.
Faced with this situation, journalists are developing survival strategies. Gutierrez said 90% of journalists surveyed rigorously verify their facts, 57% have created personal safety measures, and more than half limit their coverage to avoid retaliation.
“Press freedom in Mexico walks a fine line between resistance and silence,” Gutierrez said. “Without social support and with institutions that systematically fail, journalism struggles to preserve its fundamental right to inform.”
Grisel Salazar, professor at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, shared data from a recent study on journalism in Mexico, which reveals a complex and troubling reality.
Salazar discussed the research, which was conducted in six regions of the country, showing that journalists face multiple challenges, with Mexico City being the most egalitarian region in the practice of this profession.
She said the most common attacks are public insults and discrediting, primarily through social media, affecting 60% of journalists. Women, those who cover political and security issues, and freelancers are especially vulnerable.
The research highlights the lack of a central registry of journalists in Mexico, which makes it difficult to obtain accurate data. The sample included 443 journalists, revealing that attacks go beyond physical violence, encompassing intimidation, legal action and financial hardship.
In response, journalists have developed strategies such as fact-checking and, worryingly, self-censorship.
“Institutional deterioration and impunity are the main sources of stress, directly threatening press freedom and democracy,” Salazar said.
Summer Harlow, associate director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, presented the crisis facing journalists in El Salvador under the administration of President Nayib Bukele.
Harlow said that 80% of journalists surveyed believe the conditions for independent journalism are worsening, and mentioned that the main problems are systematic attacks from the government, with 30% of the attacks coming directly from the president.
There is surveillance and hacking of communication devices, in addition to frequent hate speech that goes hand in hand with self-censorship (60% of journalists already practice it). Finally, she mentioned threats to physical and mental integrity.
“There are no good prospects for the future, and the situation will only get worse, so they are taking self-protection measures,” Harlow said.
She also said 70% are concerned about their physical well-being, and more than 80% fear for their mental health. Many have been forced to seek internal or international exile.
And the survey found a major contrast among Salvadoran journalists. While at an individual level, a majority – 68% – said they had autonomy in selecting their stories, at a broader media level, nearly half – 48% – said press freedom was limited or nonexistent.
“It’s complicated,” Harlow said.
The conclusion presented is dramatic: the greatest threat to journalists in El Salvador comes not from criminal organizations, but from the government itself, seriously compromising press freedom and the right to information.
Celeste Gonzalez de Bustamante, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, presented research conducted between July and September 2023, which surveyed 220 journalists in Costa Rica, yielding alarming results.
Although Costa Rica ranks 26th in the Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index, surpassing countries like the United States, professionals face increasingly difficult conditions, Gonzalez de Bustamante said. These conditions include high levels of emotional stress, negative impact on financial conditions, the presence of hate speech and risks for professionals who publish critical content.
"If we compare ourselves to the region, we're doing well, but if we compare ourselves to ourselves, we're doing very poorly," De Bustamante said.
The study concludes that, while Costa Rica maintains better conditions than other Latin American countries, there is an urgent need to improve the media ecosystem and protect communications professionals.
* Desiree Marquez is a bilingual journalism student at the University of Texas at Austin. Originally from the Juárez-El Paso border region, she has a passion for storytelling and an enthusiasm for contributing her skills in writing and communication on a variety of platforms.
