Superficial crime reporting that relies on bloody photos and spread, but lacks any explanation behind such photos, has become a common occurrence among Honduras' media outlets. The Fundación MEPI, a regional investigative journalism project based in Mexico City, says that its content analysis and interviews with reporters and editors have drawn out multiple reasons behind this growing trend: a lack of government-media implemented safety mechanisms to protect journalists, little access to timely official reports by the authorities, and fear of retaliation, if stories display too much context or insight.
With the purpose of helping journalists from different regions and reaches of the country improve their coverage of the conflict and post-conflict in Colombia, and the goal of creating a network of colleagues that specialize on these issues, several organizations have joined to launch a new digital project, Plataforma de Periodismo (“Journalism Platform” in Spanish).
Carlos Martínez is a reporter with Salvadoran news site El Faro who specializes in covering violence in Central America. He's part of the publication's Sala Negra team, which was created in 2011 with the goal of creating a model for permanent coverage of prisons, gangs, organized crime and violence in the region.
Journalism organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF in French) called on Colombian authorities to guarantee the safety of four journalists who had received threats from La Guajira governor Juan Francisco Gómez. Last weekend, Gómez was arrested for his alleged participation in three killings and accused of having links with criminal organizations, news agency AFP reported.
As part of its campaign Impunity Kills, the Mexico chapter of press freedom organization Article 19 started a launch campaign for both a new documentary and a petition gathering signatures to ask the nation's authorities to fulfill their duties to protect journalists and investigate crimes against them.
As Brazil begins its investigation into claims that the U.S. spied on the communications of President Dilma Rousseff, Brazilian lawmakers are seeking federal protection for journalist Glenn Greenwald and his partner David Miranda, RT.com reported. Legislators say Greenwald and Miranda need to be protected due to the importance of their testimony on the probe.
Two TV journalists in Peru revealed they were photographed and filmed on June 21 near the television station Canal 15 UCV Satelital in the northern city of Trujillo, according to a statement by the Press and Society Institute (IPYS).
The restriction of information by government officials, journalists' safety and the telecommunications bill in Honduras are the main concerns worrying a committee from the Inter American Press Society, IAPA, visiting the country since May 27.
The Central American University of El Salvador established a specialized security-training center for journalists with financial support from the United States government, reported the news agency Agence-France Presse.
To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the killing of Mexican journalist Regina Martínez, hundreds of journalists in 20 Mexican cities took to the streets on Sunday, April 28 to demand protection for the press and investigations into crimes against journalists. On Storify and Tumblr, journalists published images and text about the unpunished killings and attacks on journalists.
The National Association of the Press of Bolivia (ANP) has said that the Life Insurance Law for media workers has “political ends” contrary to freedom of the press and could allow for “state intervention” in media companies, reported the newspaper La Razón.
The Mexican federal government will carry out an audit of all contracts given out to provide security to journalists and human rights advocates during the administration of former president Felipe Calderón (2006-2012), according to the Campaign for Free Expression.