Absent Panelist

Ana Baron, US correspondent for "Clarin" was scheduled to attend the original forum on February 13th; however, she was missing from today's rescheduled event. There was no mention of her absence.

Mexico

Mexico south is different from, Central Mexico, and Northern Mexico. Events that take place in Southern Mexico are covered by the Mexican Media, but not the U.S. Media. Advocacy Journalism is not as well covered by the mainstream media in the U.S.

The Problem Is Youth?

Paulo Sotero, states that the problem may be youth. Much of the Latin American coverage is found in Newspapers, and the younger population is uninterested in print news.

Moderator McDonald attempts to support the students in the audience by asking how many student actually enjoy reading the newspaper, and many students raise their hands in approval of the old-fashioned newspaper.

NPR

There are well informed pieces done by NPR in Latin America on poverty and AIDS. NPR, even in Latin America, has good journalists, it does not matter if they are biased, they report the facts and important events.
- Sotero

Journalistic Danger

"It's not about what the government's have done, but what they haven't done, " - Jose Carreno

Deaths of Latin American Journalists are comparable to the numbers of murdered journalists in the Middle East.

Center for Protecting Journalists

In Brazil, organized crime is a major killer of journalists. This too is a form of terrorism according to Paulo Sotero. Reporters and Journalists are disappearing in Brazil.

Journalists are doing heroic reporting just by covering the facts, states Sotero. Carreno also ads that journalists have two options, the accept bribes or threats.

Question and Answer Time!

Question: Coke and South America coverage
Answer:
Paulo Sotero
It's a matter of good advertising. Soy Beans in the Amazon, a campaign presented by Green Peace was an intelligent ad campaign in Europe designed to convince McDonald's to stop using soy beans from the forested land in the Amazon. McDonald's does not want to be associated with destroying the rain-Forest and came to an agreement. This issue was covered significantly in the Brazilian Media.

Rick Rockwell
The "Killing Coke" issue is not well covered in Latin America. Journalists and media companies are afraid they will lose money if they report negatively about Coke because they are such a large money making industry.

What needs to be covered?

Jose Carreno
Social Movements - reasons for such actions and events have not been covered. There is more to stating that Chavez is a leftist.

Paulo Sotero
The leftest trend new in Latin America, is the issue new or left? Chavez is an old fashioned leftest.

The "Financial Times" and the "Economist" are the only global papers in the media according to Sotero. Their coverage on Brazil is fair and accurate

CNN - Business Reporting

Jose Carreno starts this discussion on CNN. CNN, he states, has fallen into the trend of focusing most of its news coverage on what the audience wants to hear.

Rockwell adds to the discussion stating that CNN does do a great job focusing on business media, but media involving culture and politics is often lost. Rockwell states that he would like to hear more reporting on the interactions of all social levels throughout the Americas.

Brazil and Mexico

Paulo Sotero discusses the coverage of Brazil, stating that coverage is not great but it is not negative. Moderator Mark McDonald interjects, stating that Brazil is a rather successful Latin American country.

Brazil is inventive and creative, champion of fuel efficient cars, and the president has star quality. He is a man of the people...A POSITIVE. U.S. media has covered the Brazilian issues accurately and fairly, said Sotero.

Sotero states that Mexico is covered differently because it is U.S.'s neighbor.

Jose Carreno agrees stating that their are negative issues regarding immigration coverage. Mexican media; however, has become more harsh regarding issues pertaining to the Mexican and U.S. government.

Bowl in a China Shop

Rick Rockwell compared U.S. coverage in media to the imagery of a Bowl in a China Shop. The media comes bursting in with both feet when and if they cover a story in Latin American, but like the bowl in the China shop, they always miss the nuance.

Opening Remarks

It has been stated that one of the largest growing demographics in the United States is the Latino population. Events that take place in Latin America affect a majority of U.S. citizens, so why is media coverage on the subject labeled, "generic?"

Major political and economic events in Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua, etc. are ignored by the U.S. press. The U.S. tends to focus more on the war with terrorism, disregarding the fact that many of these Latin American countries continue to elect liberal governments and still have one of the largest gaps between rich and poor.

"Reporting on Latin America: Hit or Miss?

The American Forum will focus on journalistic coverage in Latin America. Panelists will discuss why the region is covered poorly and where good coverage if any, can be found. For more information on this topic check out "The State of Online Journalism in Latin America."

Panelists

Ana Baron, U.S. correspondent, Clarin
Panel discussion for PBS - International Intersts

Jose Carreno, Washington correspondent for El Universal
Panel discussion for PBS - Immigration

Rick Rockwell, SOC professor, Author of "Media Power in Central America"
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Paulo Sotero, SOC/MA 'O3, director, Brazil Institute, Latin American Program
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