The most recent edition of the Chapultepec Index of Freedom of Expression and the Press, from the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA), recorded an improvement of 4.2 points on average in the 22 countries evaluated on the continent. The more positive overall picture comes with poor results from three of the largest countries in the region, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil, which lost the most points in the ranking.
To understand the barriers for journalists with disabilities who want to enter newsrooms, as well as the treatment of persons with disabilities in the media, LatAm Journalism Review (LJR) spoke with media professionals in Latin America about their experience working in newsrooms and their advice for giving stories a human rights approach.
In recent years, there has been a spring of feminist media in Latin America, many starting alongside the MeToo (United States, 2017) or Ni una menos (Argentina, 2015) movements, which seek to vindicate the issues of women, trans women and the LGBTQ+ communities in media content and public discussion.
Globally, trust in the news grew six percentage points and reached 44 percent, according to the 2021 Digital News Report, by the Reuters Institute. In the six Latin American countries investigated, however, general trust in the news is lower, reaching an average of 40.5 percent. In the region, confidence is lowest in Argentina and Chile (36%) and highest in Brazil (54%).
The Reveniu payment platform, which the Chilean journalist Miguel Paz devised to facilitate donations and monetary contributions to start-ups and independent media, has been operating publicly for one year this May.
With social distancing rules, control over who asks questions –and when they’re asked– has increased in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Survey of laws and bills that curb and punish disinformation and fake news on the Internet shows growth in Latin American countries. Experts warn of the risk of censorship and self-censorship of journalists.
The social protests in Chile reminded the country's media of the importance of working on the ground, of deploying press teams with sufficient capabilities to work in such a "volatile and dynamic context," said journalist Paula Molina.
For decades, dozens of journalists from Latin America and around the world have taken advantage of fellowship programs at prestigious U.S. universities.
Six media outlets from Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Venezuela and Chile will proceed to the second phase of the Velocidad independent media accelerator program.