A. Guttmann
Research Lead covering media
Journalism in Latin America - statistics & facts
If Latin America is a region of contrasts, the journalistic craft reflects exactly that. The area is home to a complex news consumer market where both legacy media and new outlets thrive and experiment with digital platforms. It is also where some nations enjoy high press freedom indexes, notably Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Costa Rica, followed by Suriname and The Dominican Republic. Yet one can also find in the region some of G20's countries with the worst conditions for freedom of speech, Brazil and Mexico – the latter being one of the riskiest areas for journalists worldwide. Sadly, Latin America ranked second behind the Arab States in 2023, experiencing a large number of journalists killed, which indicates that reporting remains an outstandingly challenging activity in the southernmost part of the Americas.
Journalism in certain countries in Latin America faces challenges ranging from government control to life threats. These risks are pronounced in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Cuba, or Honduras. On the other hand, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and Suriname are experiencing healthier press freedom indexes which aids non-biased reporting in these countries. All in all, the region's economic diversity also translates to differences in the press environment.
Do Latin Americans trust the news?
Although the global confidence in media altogether continues to decline, two Latin American countries were part of the one-third of nations with the highest shares of internet users expressing trust in journalists as of mid-2023. They were Brazil, with 34 percent, and Mexico, with 31 percent. The same ranking shows that Argentinians and Peruvians are the lest trusting int he regions, with less than a fifth of them finding the work of journalist reliable. This is closely related to the fact that the press freedom index has been declining in both of these countries in the recent years. In Peru specifically the press freedom index is low, with the latest measurements putting it below 50 points, on a scale to 100. Understandably, the public is untrusting of journalism that is controlled or suppressed by the government and is hindered from unbiased reporting.The risks for journalism in Mexico
For years now, Mexico has been standing out as one of the most dangerous places for media professionals. Between 2017 and 2023, Mexico had the highest number of journalists killed in Latin America and the world. This does not go unnoticed among the citizenry. In 2012, around 74 percent of people in Mexico deemed journalism a high-risk profession in that country; almost a decade later, in 2021, the share stood at 94 percent. Reporters vulnerable to organized crime also fail to meet news consumers' expectations. In 2021, more than three out of four adults said the lack of security hindered journalists from reporting on criminality in Mexico.Journalism in certain countries in Latin America faces challenges ranging from government control to life threats. These risks are pronounced in Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Cuba, or Honduras. On the other hand, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Costa Rica, and Suriname are experiencing healthier press freedom indexes which aids non-biased reporting in these countries. All in all, the region's economic diversity also translates to differences in the press environment.
