Brazil: An inconvenient protest for the media
Why Brazil’s strike was largely ignored by the country’s big media outlets. Plus, the challenges of reporting Chechnya.
On The Listening Post this week: Brazil’s general strike was largely ignored by the country’s big media outlets. We make sense of the silence. Plus, the challenges of reporting Chechnya.
Brazil: An inconvenient protest for the media
Though a general strike brought much of Brazil to a standstill, the movement protesting President Michel Temer’s economic reforms received little sympathy from the dominant media players. With big business interests behind pro-market policies, Brazil’s media leave little room for popular dissent.
Contributors:
Vladimir Goitia, financial journalist
Joao Filho, journalist, The Intercept Brasil
Adriana Magalhaes, press officer, United Workers’ Central
Joao Feres, media analyst
On our radar:
• It’s been less than a month since we reported on the war against journalism in Mexico. Since then, two more journalists have been killed, making it a total of five this year.
• Iranian TV executive Saeed Karimian, whose entertainment channel was based outside the country, was shot and killed in Turkey.
• The power struggle between Pakistan‘s military and the civilian-led government has been exposed over a story that started with a leak six months ago, and continues to make news.
Reporting in Ramzan Kadyrov’s Chechnya
Journalism in the Russian republic of Chechnya is in a dire state. The news media has been crushed and the few Russian journalists still daring to report face threats, harassment or worse. Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, keeps turning the screws tighter.
Contributors:
Oleg Orlov, chairman, Memorial Human Rights Organisation
Oliver Bullough, journalist
Elena Milashina, Caucasus correspondent, Novaya Gazeta