texas-moody

Press Freedom

stock markets falling + journalists in the forefront

Press freedom is eroding in Latin America as the financial viability of independent news outlets grows increasingly uncertain

A new Reporters Without Borders report finds economic instability hurt the media industry in most Latin American countries last year. Nicaragua, under an increasingly repressive dictatorship, overtook Cuba as the region’s worst country for press freedom.

All branches of government waging war against journalism in Peru, press advocates warn

Press advocates say the three branches of the Peruvian government are targeting journalists with legal cases, legislation and verbal attacks.

Televisa is accused of running secret network of fake news to smear rivals

Mexico’s Aristegui Noticias reports that a major leak shows the powerful Televisa network ran a secret operation to manipulate public opinion and target judges, journalists, and even billionaire Carlos Slim.

Dina Boluarte speaking during a public address, wearing a pink jacket, with a Peruvian flag behind her.

Peru tightens grip on foreign-funded NGOs and media under new law

With approval ratings at just 4%, President Dina Boluarte enacted a law that places state oversight on media that receive international funding. The law is being compared to similar legislation from authoritarian regimes, in a context of increasing democratic deterioration in Peru.

Woman wearing glasses at podium

International panelists at ISOJ warn of censorship, lawsuits and other patterns in the erosion of democracies

Journalists from El Salvador, India, Hungary and Turkey share how autocratic regimes in their countries have weakened freedom of expression and offer U.S. journalists a glimpse of what may come.

Five people on stage

Defending the truth: The ongoing struggles and resilience of international journalists explored at ISOJ

Reporters from Syria, Haiti, Malawi, Venezuela and Russia recounted restrictions on press freedom and journalism in their home countries, up to and including arrest and exile.

Woman speaks into microphone

‘We are standing up for the principles of the entire independent press,’ says AP executive editor Julie Pace on White House ban

Pace told participants of the 26th International Symposium on Online Journalism that the Associated Press is fighting a ban on its reporters from the press pool and still showing up to the White House every day, despite being repeatedly turned away.

A close-up of the Voice of America (VOA) sign on a beige wall, with the U.S. government emblem above it

The end of Voice of America deals a blow to coverage of democracy and repression in Latin America

VOA journalists are suing the Trump administration, arguing its shutdown of the network is unconstitutional. They also say the move harms U.S. credibility abroad and puts foreign staff at risk.

Justices of the Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) participate in a plenary session. One justice sits at the center of the image, while other members of the court are seated to the left, engaged in discussion.

Brazil’s top court rules media not liable for guests’ defamatory statements in live interviews

The Supreme Court, updating a 2023 ruling on media liability, says outlets will only be on the hook if they act negligently or knowingly broadcast defamatory statements. They must also guarantee a right of reply to any implicated third party.

Jail razor wire

Detentions of journalists in Venezuela serve as punishment and warning to others

Journalists and human rights organizations say Venezuelan authorities detain and release journalists to control and censor, using ‘punishment as warning’ as a tool to instill fear and silence the press.

A computer screen displaying the Dominican Republic flag with social media icons

Accusations of USAID payments fuel harassment of journalists in the Dominican Republic

At least half a dozen Dominican journalists were targeted online after being accused of receiving support from the U.S. government, highlighting how U.S. political narratives resonate in Latin America.

Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora sent back to prison after appeals court revokes house arrest

Zamora, known for exposing government corruption, was put behind bars after four months in house arrest. Press freedom groups say it’s part of an effort to silence critical reporting. It’s ‘arbitrary and illegal,’ his son José says.