One month after his release from a Cuban prison, journalist Lázaro Yuri Valle Roca speaks with LJR about how being the grandson of a communist commander turned him into an unwavering dissident, and how international pressure led to his release
The phenomenon of exiled journalists is not new, according to the UN Rapporteur on freedom of expression, Irene Khan. However, the increase in recent years has caused concern and hence the need for both States and civil society to come together to offer help. Organizations from Latin America join that call.
Directors of El Faro (El Salvador) and Confidencial (Nicaragua) pointed to risk assessment, complete trust between editors and reporters, legal defense and psychological support as fundamental elements to preserve the well-being and safety of their teams in the face of harassment, threats and criminalization.
The situation experienced by Nicaraguan journalists is one of the worst in the region, and was at the center of the debate, alongside examples of resistance and perseverance in the face of adversity, during the panel “Journalism in Nicaragua” at the 17th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism.
Galina Timchenko shared at ISOJ how, for the past 10 years, Meduza has managed to evade Kremlin censorship and persecution by employing a wide range of techniques, from journalists working anonymously to sophisticated tools enabling the dissemination of information within Russia.
At least 25 journalists from Guatemala have gone into exile due to an increase in censorship, attacks and persecution in their home country. Among them are Marvin Del Cid, Lucia Ixchíu and Gerson Ortiz, who spoke with LJR about the legal cases against them and the emotional consequences of being uprooted.
Women journalism leaders will take the stage at the 25th International Symposium on Online Journalism (ISOJ) to deliver all four keynote addresses at this special anniversary conference. The final two keynote speakers to be announced are Wendi C. Thomas, founder, editor and publisher of nonprofit newsroom MLK50, and Galina Timchenko, co-founder, CEO and publisher of Meduza, an independent Russian media outlet operating from Latvia.
Colombian journalist Andrea Aldana and Cuban journalist Loraine Morales, who live in exile due to hostility towards journalism in their countries, will strengthen their teaching skills while sharing their experience with journalism students, as part of a program promoted by Reporters Without Borders and Spain's Miguel Hernández University.
Four Nicaraguan journalists spoke during the 16th Ibero-American Colloquium on Digital Journalism in the panel "Nicaragua: Journalists released from prison and banished" about the challenges of continuing their work outside their home country.
Journalists who have experienced exile around the world gathered at the International Symposium of Online Journalism (ISOJ) in Austin on April 15 to talk about how they continue to report on their home countries and what they need from lawmakers, nonprofits, and citizens to support them.