By the end of this month, Colombia Reports will have filled its newsroom again after more than a year of recovery from our near bankruptcy little more than a year ago.
The recovery process wasn’t easy because of a conflict between foreign journalists and Migration that disrupted the process in September last year, but the fact we have overcome these problems makes me confident about the future.
More diversity and unique reporting
The recovery of the newsroom is going to have a major impact on the quantity and quality of news you will receive.
Our newsroom used to be overcrowded, but by November last year it was empty.
Because writers from all over the world will be involved, the output of our newsroom will be a lot more diverse.
Instead of some Dutch “enfant terrible” taking most editorial decisions, male and female contributors from multiple countries and an editorial board of more than a 100 readers will take the leading role in this.
The fact that will we no longer be understaffed will additionally allow us to dramatically increase our unique reporting and dive into issues like culture and sports we were forced to neglect.
Reader contributions to guarantee our loyalty to citizens
The website will continue to rely on the voluntary contributors of readers who support independent reporting from Colombia, and those who subscribe to our monthly political and security updates.
This means we will decreasingly have to rely on advertising revenue that naturally reduces news media’s ability to speak truth to power, be it political or economical.
Our financial dependence on our readers and community on social media also enables us to more strictly adhere to what has basically been our bible, the Principles of Journalism set out by the American Press Association.
Colombia Reports’ principles
- Our obligation is to the truth
- Our first loyalty is to citizens
- The essence of our work is a discipline of verification
- We remain independent from those we cover
- We serve as an independent monitor of power
- We must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise
- We must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant
- We must keep the news significant and proportional
- Our journalists must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience
American Press Association
Confident to confront tough years ahead
Journalism throughout the hemisphere been under pressure, not just in Colombia and certainly not just in our Medellin newsroom.
Colombia’s peace process and the judicial consequences this may have for the powers we monitor is likely going to continue to create an adverse environment for journalism in the coming years.
But we’ve already evaded bankruptcy, resisted government harassment and survived the most violent year against journalists in the past decade without a scratch.
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, they say.
With the continued support of our readers, I am confident that Colombia Reports will be able to provide you with a better news service than ever before, defend and promote freedom of press, and contribute to peace, truth and justice in our favorite country on the planet.
