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Access to Information

Art about zero access to information

How to tell stories in countries that have non-transparent and authoritarian governments? Latin American journalists shared experiences and strategies

During the LATAM Festival of Digital Media and Journalism, journalists from Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, and Venezuela shared how they go around the opacity and hostility of their governments. They agreed that the lack of transparency and access to information can cost human lives.

Colombian Flag in the background with drawing of a church and a scale superimposed

Journalist's legal battles to obtain secret Colombian Catholic Church files reinforce right to access of information

Two decisions of the Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled in favor of journalist Juan Pablo Barrientos' requests for information from the Catholic Church related to pederasty cases. Although his fight has set a positive precedent for freedom of expression, it has also meant judicial and personal exhaustion for him.

Woman carrying a baby and holding a child's hand at the bottom of the airplane stairway greets reporters.

Mexican journalists decrease coverage of Russia, Ukraine — citizens have mixed opinions on the conflict

While Mexican news organizations initially covered in detail the evacuation of Mexican nationals from Ukraine, as the war continued, Mexican audiences are divided as to how much attention news outlets should pay to a conflict far away from home, when so many people are routinely victims of deadly violence in their own country.

Three young journalists from Colombia in segmented photos, a woman, a man, and a woman, all wearing glasses.

Journalism project seeks to strengthen the right of access to public information in the Colombian Caribbean

The Contratopedia Caribe, a specialized digital platform that follows the trail of public contracting in the Colombian Caribbean, held training sessions for students to introduce them to tools to access the Law of Access to Information based on the Constitution of Colombia. This project was motivated by the great vulnerabilities that exist in the right of access to public information in Colombia that affect journalism.

A map of Brazil

Brazilian news census identifies a reduction of news deserts and a greater importance of online journalism

Atlas da Notícia identified a 9.5% reduction in the number of municipalities considered news deserts in Brazil. News deserts are municipalities that do not have local journalistic information and today these number 5 out of 10 Brazilian municipalities.

Panelists of the COVID-19 webinar

Reporters and scientists point out how to improve coverage of COVID-19 in global webinar by Knight Center, UNESCO and WHO

Panelists at the webinar "Variants, vaccines and medications: What journalists need to know to improve COVID-19 coverage" discussed some key points that journalists covering the coronavirus need to address to better tell their stories.

Supreme Federal Court of Brazil

Can Bolsonaro block journalists on Twitter? Brazilian Federal Supreme Court judges whether authorities can block citizens on social media

At least six writs of security regarding Jair Bolsonaro's blocking of Brazilian journalists and citizens on his social media are awaiting judgment in the Federal Supreme Court (STF, by its Portuguese acronym), according to an investigation by LatAm Journalism Review (LJR). There is no prediction of when the 2019 and 2021 legal actions will be judged.

Blocking users on Twitter by the El Salvador's president Twitter account

Blocking of journalists by authorities and officials on Twitter extends across Latin America

Blocking of journalists occurs systematically in El Salvador, Guatemala, Venezuela and Brazil. In most Latin American countries there is no law that regulates this situation, which threatens freedom of expression and journalistic work. In Mexico and Chile, officials are prohibited from blocking accounts, but sometimes regulations are not followed.

Person going through files

Ten years after the access to information law’s approval, Brazil is experiencing ‘stagnation with signs of setback,’ study says

Ten years after the enactment of the Access to Information Law, an analysis by the organization Transparência Brasil says the quality of the federal government’s response to requests for information made between 2019 and 2021 has gotten worse.

WikiLAI reúne conteúdos explicativos e casos concretos de uso jornalístico da legislação que transformou o acesso a informações públicas no país

Fiquem Sabendo launches platform to facilitate the use of Brazil’s Access to Information Law

Created on the 10th anniversary of the enactment of Brazil’s Access to Information Act, WikiLAI brings together explanatory content as well as cases of how journalists have used the law that transformed access to public information in the country.

Person from Serendipia presenting behind microphone

Mexican digital media outlet Serendipia works to balance in-depth data journalism and content creation for social networks

Serendipia, a small media outlet from Puebla, Mexico, is using social media platforms YouTube and TikTok to bring data journalism and promote access to information to readers.

image of Mexican military

Public information requests are an alternative for investigating drug trafficking in Mexico

To cover the so-called "War on Drugs," Mexican journalists are using the public information law to uncover the dark worlds of drug trafficking and the State’s fight against it.