The Brazilian government announced the creation of the National Observatory of Violence against Journalists, a demand from organizations defending press freedom and journalists. National Secretary of Justice, Augusto de Arruda Botelho, told LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) that the creation of the new body was motivated by the "escalating violence" against journalists in the country.
InfoAmazonia, a trilingual platform devoted to covering the Amazon Rainforest, has launched a Citizen Network of news outlets based in the Brazilian Amazon that cover socio-environmental issues. The idea is to strengthen local journalism in the region and expand media audiences, improving the content and bringing it in and around the Amazon to local populations and a global audience.
At least 12 journalists were physically assaulted, robbed or threatened with death by groups of Bolsonarists while covering the terrorist acts perpetrated by supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro on Jan. 8 in Brasilia. Thousands of them stormed and vandalized the National Congress, the Planalto Palace and the Supreme Court in the face of inaction by police officers present, who in more than one case also refused to help journalists.
Brazilian researcher Denise Becker, from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, defends transparency as a key value for journalists and news organizations to face the wave of loss of trust that affects the press. Winner of the 2022 best dissertation award from the Brazilian Association of Journalism Researchers, Becker argues that transparency contributes to rebuilding public trust in journalism.
Brazilian journalist Fabiana Moraes has in recent years honed her sharp critique of the coverage of Brazilian politics and society. She talked to LatAm Journalism Review about her new book, "A pauta é uma arma de combate" [The article is a combat weapon], in which she proposes a subjective journalism and talks about "how journalism can oppose scenarios of the destruction of people’s humanity."
Using satellite imagery and geo-referencing, following the trail of trafficking networks and taking care for the safety of journalist and sources are techniques that journalists Yvette Sierra of Mongabay, Joseph Poliszuk of Armando.Info and freelancer Hyury Potter have applied in their investigations of illegal mining in Latin America.
Since Nov. 1, demonstrations by Bolsonaro supporters questioned election results by blocking national and interstate highways with trucks and tractors. Journalists covering the events were assaulted and intimidated while exercising press freedom. LatAm Journalism Review interviewed two journalists on the ground. Both suffered incidents and intimidation and told us about their experiences in the field.
Brazilian journalists have lived through years of violence, persecution and exhaustion under outgoing president Jair Bolsonaro. Amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, this stressful environment helped Brazilian journalism make strides, but also exposed its inconsistencies.
Journalists, communicators, and researchers have created COLO - Coletivo de Jornalismo Infantojuvenil [Children and Youth Journalism Collective] - to organize and strengthen the market for news content for children and adolescents in Brazil. Acting together, the group wants to overcome prejudice against journalism created for children and teenagers in newsrooms and the advertising market.
The seventh edition of the Brazilian Conference on Data Journalism and Digital Methods - Coda.Br, which runs from Oct. 31st to Nov. 6th, will once again have a face-to-face event in São Paulo. The conference will include people from around the world who want to follow panels and workshops online, as a celebration of the legacy of American journalist Philip Meyer, who coined the term "precision journalism" to designate the work with data in the profession.