UK supports Media Freedom in Central America

From 3 to 5 November dozens of journalists from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, met in Antigua Guatemala to participate in the 2022 Central American Journalism Forum (Forocap) with the help of UK funds.

The journalists took part in five different workshops given by renowned local and international journalists, in which they discussed on the rise of innovative news formats such as Podcasts, the state of media freedom in the region and several open discussions on current affairs in Latin America.

A breakthrough of the agenda was the creation of the Central American Network of Journalists, composed of journalists, several donor countries and international organisations that support media freedom.

This network -by journalists and for journalists- will help them work together to face challenges and provide actions to protect freedom of speech. Similarly, it will also seek to find ways to strengthen journalism and make it sustainable.

The Network of Journalists is the first stepping-stone to a regional collaboration, which will provide alliances to defend civic spaces, support journalists’ mental health and bring citizens closer to their right to be informed.

At the opening event of the 2022 Forocap UK Ambassador, Nick Whittingham met with several journalists and exchanged views on the state of media freedom, reassured the UK’s commitment to supporting their work in the region and witnessed the launch of the Central American Network of Journalists.