Neglected and partial news: A probe into the reporting of Latin American

In the 1990s, news coverage of environmental stories flourished in Latin American journalism. It was, however, short lived. The beginning of the 21st Century brought bad news for the environmental 'paper round'. Publications closed, green newspaper supplements were discontinued and television and radio began to move away from environmental stories. This has produced two striking results. First, journalists from most Latin American mass media outlets were devoid of the expertise and will, needed to engage with environmental stories. Second, the consumers of such media were unable to gain access to information- or be sufficiently socialized-on the many environmental problems and threats that would, sooner or later, come to affect them. The neglected story of the environment is also an incomplete one. When stories exist, they are stories that leave more questions than answers. Cases abound. Environmental justice for example has become a central issue in the region. But despite this centrality, Latin American journalism has been unable to tell a story that is fair. As outlined in this paper, and, based on first-hand experience, the struggle for environmental justice has been framed as deviant. And, they are failed stories. They don't have context. They are fragmented. They don't encourage a dialogical environment. They don't prompt debate in the public sphere. They don't educate. It is a news agenda full of 'natural disasters.' This paper zooms in and out, attempting to take stock of what is now happening in the land of magical realism, the land that has given us so many brilliant journalists, but so far has failed to give us enlightened environmental reporters.