Leonardo Coelho
Verified
(He/Him)
As seen in:
The New York Times en Español,
Nature,
Infobae,
Núcleo Jornalismo,
LatAm Journalism Review
Covers:
human rights, urban violence, digital culture
Doesn't Cover:
economy
Jornalista / Journalist
Articles by Leonardo Coelho
Brazilian news outlets say they’re rejecting sports betting ads to preserve independence
By August 4, 2026 Summary More than 60 organizations say they won't accept advertising from an industry they argue is fueling a national epidemic and demand independent scrutiny. More than 60 Brazilian news organizations have jointly agreed not to accept advertising money from the country’s rapidly expanding online sports betting industry, saying that accepting it would compromise their ability to scrutinize a sector fueling a national epidemic.
A new force in Brazilian journalism reaches five-year milestone
By July 29, 2026 Summary Brazil’s Digital Journalism Association has grown fivefold, bringing together outlets from the country’s most challenging regions and emerging as a recognized voice for press freedom. Five years ago, a group of 30 independent digital news outlets in Brazil banded together to create an association dedicated to strengthening digital journalism, both professionally and financially.
Brazil’s public communication company takes down 180,000 web pages of news content ahead of election
By July 22, 2026 Summary Officials say they’re following court guidance to avoid appearing to favor candidates during this year’s elections. Journalists say the purge amounts to censorship. Pedro Vilela, a reporter for Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), recently searched for an old interview of his in the federal public broadcasting corporation’s website to hyperlink it to a story he was working on. But to his surprise, the page was unavailable.
Can AI replace expert sources? A Brazilian media scandal pushes journalism into new ethical territory.
By July 14, 2026 Summary A story labeled as AI-assisted but filled with AI-Generated experts sparked backlash in Brazil, raising questions about the role of human expertise in journalism and the ethical limits of the technology. What should have been an ordinary lifestyle story about diets quickly turned into a major scandal in Brazil over the use of artificial intelligence in journalism.
Meta's AI support leaves deplatformed journalists talking to a machine — and no one else
By July 7, 2026 Summary Brazilian reporters and local news outlets say suspended accounts leave them trapped in endless chatbot loops, with no way to reach a person who can help. Three job listings were all it took to erase years of audience-building at a small Brazilian newspaper.
Brazil’s comics journalism is growing into a bigger speech bubble
By July 2, 2026 Summary New publishers and loyal readers are helping comics journalism catch on in Brazil. As trust in traditional media wanes, reporters say the format can create emotional connections that straight news often can't. Freelance journalist Cecília Marins learned about comics journalism in a roundabout way, only after experimenting with different career paths in media. Announcing a Russian soccer tournament here, covering the economy for Forbes Brasil there.
World Cup coverage, brought to you by one of Brazil’s biggest influencers
By June 24, 2026 Summary Virginia Fonseca’s debut on TV Globo is the latest sign of a media shift that critics say is blurring the line between journalism and entertainment. In the middle of Times Square, a blonde woman wearing a Brazil-themed jacket introduces herself to a camera: “Hi, my name is Virginia Fonseca. I’m a World Cup reporter …”She gets cut off by a man who steps into the frame with a record-scratch.“No, not a reporter,” he says. “Avoid that.
As Brazilian media embrace prediction markets, experts warn of election distortion
By June 16, 2026 Summary News outlets are citing unregulated betting platforms alongside survey-based polls. Critics say the markets are easily manipulated and do not reliably reflect voter sentiment. Alongside election polls, Brazilian news consumers must now get used to a new controversial tool used by journalists for monitoring the ongoing presidential race: prediction markets.
In Brazil, the algorithm is winning – and newsrooms are adjusting
By June 9, 2026 Summary Nearly half of Brazilian internet users distrust news organizations, according to a new survey. News organizations are experimenting with WhatsApp groups and community building to keep up. News now travels less through the front page than through the family group chat.
News hype around an experimental drug in Brazil revives familiar fears
By June 2, 2026 Summary As coverage of a potential spinal cord treatment draws massive interest, science journalists are warning against media excitement outpacing early clinical reality. In March, during Women’s History Month, a lecture on women’s presence in science at the University of São Paulo drew the attention of thousands of people. Within three minutes, all tickets for a 600-seat auditorium were sold out.
As Brazil’s Supreme Court rose to prominence, journalists had to reinvent themselves
By May 26, 2026 Summary Felipe Recondo followed shifting news habits beyond print, turning Supreme Court coverage into newsletters, podcasts and YouTube. Over the past 20 years, Brazil’s highest court, the Supreme Federal Court, has gone from a supporting role to a leading actor in the country’s political arena. With this shift, reporters also had to reinvent themselves. One of the journalists who has best reported on this transition is Felipe Recondo.
Brazilian photojournalist documents toll of country’s deadliest police operation
By May 19, 2026 Summary Eduardo Anizelli photographed the aftermath of a massive raid on more than a dozen favelas in Rio de Janeiro that left at least 122 people dead. Eduardo Anizelli, a Brazilian photojournalist for newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, had spent the morning of Oct. 28 covering what would become the country’s deadliest police operation.
Brazil court ruling underscores risks for photojournalists on the front lines
By May 8, 2026 Summary A Supreme Court decision awarding damages to a photographer blinded while covering a protest highlights how attacks on journalists can discourage them from doing essential work. Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court ordered the state of São Paulo to pay 100,000 reais (about US$20,000) in damages and a lifetime pension to a freelance photographer who was blinded in one eye while covering a protest.
Brazil’s Ctrl+Z aims to use journalism to pressure Big Tech
By May 6, 2026 Summary The nonprofit plans to collect whistleblower leaks and partner with newsrooms to hold platforms accountable. But should journalists be picking sides? Daniela Silva once led efforts to shape Brazilian legislation in favor of the messaging service WhatsApp. But after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg scrapped Meta Platforms’ fact-checking program in January 2025, she decided to quit.
For decades, Brazil has studied crime. Acting on it is another story
By April 28, 2026 Summary After 20 years reporting on public safety, journalist Cecília Oliver says the issue isn’t information, it’s political will. Brazilian journalist Cecília Olliveira was recently called to testify before the Senate’s Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI, for its initials in Portuguese) on Organized Crime. Legislators wanted to hear from the reporter on strategies to curb the rise of criminal factions and militias in Brazil.
Brazil creates national standard for investigating crimes against journalists
By April 23, 2026 Summary Advocates praise the move but say it’s overdue and are they’re looking closely at how it is enforced across the country. Members of journalists and human rights organizations traveled to Brasília this month to sign guidance on how authorities across Brazil share information and coordinate investigations into crimes against journalists.
A doorman and a TV reporter are the unlikely duo breaking into Rio de Janeiro’s news scene
By April 15, 2026 The scene looks familiar to any journalist: a reporter, a camera operator, a microphone and two people being interviewed. The story is about urban violence, an indispensable beat and constant concern for residents of Rio de Janeiro.
After family killing, attention turns to media’s treatment of survivor
By April 7, 2026 A unit of the public defender’s office in the central Brazilian state of Goiás has sued 10 media outlets, seeking the removal of online content related to a brutal crime in which police say a local official shot and killed his two children before taking his own life.
Nas redações brasileiras, não se trata de usar IA ou não, mas de como usá-la
Por 31 março, 2026 Summary Redações grandes e pequenas estão adotando a IA para traduzir, criar roteiros e checar fatos em tempo real. Em uma mesa-redonda do Knight Center, cinco jornalistas de destaque analisaram seus riscos visíveis e ocultos. “A IA chegou com os dois pés na porta.” Essa foi parte das observações iniciais da moderadora Laís Martins em uma mesa-redonda organizada pelo Knight Center para o Jornalismo nas Américas sobre o uso de inteligência artificial em redações no Brasil.
In Brazilian newsrooms, it’s not a matter of whether to use AI, but how
By March 31, 2026 Summary Newsrooms big and small are embracing AI to translate, script and fact-check in real time. In a Knight Center round table, five top journalists examined its visible and hidden risks. “AI showed up kicking the door in.” This was part of the opening remarks by moderator Laís Martins at a roundtable discussion organized by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas on the use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms in Brazil.
La IA ya es un hecho en las redacciones de Brasil, el reto es cómo usarla
Por 31 marzo, 2026 Summary Redacciones grandes y pequeñas están adoptando la IA para traducir, redactar guiones y verificar datos en tiempo real. En una mesa redonda del Knight Center, cinco destacadas periodistas discutieron sus riesgos visibles y ocultos. “La IA llegó pateando la puerta”. Así lo expresó la moderadora Laís Martins al inicio de una mesa redonda organizada por el Centro Knight para el Periodismo en las Américas sobre el uso de la inteligencia artificial en redacciones en Brasil.
From data centers to digital labor, Brazilian journalist tracks AI’s impact in the Global South
By March 24, 2026 When people talk about artificial intelligence (AI), the focus is often on new language models, processing speed and potential uses. Far less attention is paid to the costs of the ecosystem: resource extraction, institutional opacity, underpaid labor, massive infrastructure, and widespread impacts on ecosystems and communities where these projects take root.
Planes para intimidar a un columnista y vínculos poco claros con los medios: un nuevo escándalo sacude el periodismo en Brasil
Por 18 marzo, 2026 Un gran escándalo sacude los ámbitos financiero, político y periodístico de Brasil, y un hombre se encuentra en el centro de todo: Daniel Vorcaro, exdirector ejecutivo del ahora extinto Banco Master SA. Daniel Vorcaro, un exitoso empresario con un éxito meteórico, comenzó a construir su imperio financiero en 2018 cuando compró un pequeño banco y rápidamente amasó una fortuna, prometiendo ganancias extraordinarias.
Plans to intimidate a columnist and unclear ties with the media: new scandal hits journalism in Brazil
By March 18, 2026 A major scandal is rocking the financial, political and journalism worlds in Brazil, and one man is at the center of it all: Daniel Vorcaro, former chief executive officer of the now defunct lender Banco Master SA.
Planos para intimidar um colunista e laços obscuros com a mídia: novo escândalo abala o jornalismo no Brasil
Por 18 março, 2026 Um grande escândalo está abalando os mundos financeiro, político e jornalístico no Brasil, e um homem está no centro de tudo: Daniel Vorcaro, ex-diretor executivo do agora extinto Banco Master SA. Daniel Vorcaro, um empresário de sucesso cuja carreira disparou, começou a construir seu império financeiro em 2018, quando comprou um pequeno banco e rapidamente fez fortuna com ele, prometendo retornos muito superiores à média.
Rejeitado na Europa, aplicado aqui: o sistema de reconhecimento facial que monitora alunos no Brasil
Como um software biométrico criado na Europa encontrou espaço nas escolas do Paraná – com possíveis consequências muito além da sala de aula Arte: Rodolfo Almeida | | Conteúdo feito por humanos Esta reportagem foi produzida com apoio da AI Accountability Network, do Pulitzer Center. No Colégio Estadual Professor Loureiro Fernandes, escola pública de ensino médio no estado do Paraná, no sul do Brasil, uma aula começa como qualquer outra.
In Brazil and Argentina, the same racist remark draws starkly different coverage
By March 2, 2026 Summary After an Argentine tourist was arrested in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian outlets focused on her accountability. In Argentina, some centered instead on her vulnerability. A case involving an Argentine tourist and a racial slur at a bar in Rio de Janeiro’s upscale Ipanema neighborhood has set off debate on race and responsibility, exposing sharp differences in how news organizations in each country cover racism. On Feb.
En Brasil y Argentina, el mismo comentario racista genera coberturas marcadamente distintas
Por 2 marzo, 2026 Un caso que involucra a una turista argentina y un insulto racial en un bar del exclusivo barrio de Ipanema, en Río de Janeiro, ha desatado un debate sobre racialización y responsabilidad, y ha expuesto notables diferencias en la forma en que los medios de cada país cubren el racismo. El 6 de febrero, Agostina Páez fue arrestada tras ser acusada de usar insultos y gestos racistas contra empleados de un bar al que acudía con amistades.
No Brasil e na Argentina, o mesmo comentário racista recebe coberturas totalmente diferentes
Por 2 março, 2026 Summary Depois que uma turista argentina foi acusada no Rio de Janeiro, os meios de comunicação brasileiros focaram na sua responsabilidade. Na Argentina, alguns se concentraram na sua vulnerabilidade. Um caso envolvendo uma turista argentina e um insulto racial num bar no bairro nobre de Ipanema, no Rio de Janeiro, desencadeou um debate sobre raça e responsabilidade, expondo diferenças marcantes na forma como os meios de comunicação de cada país cobrem o racismo.
AI-fueled disinformation surges ahead of Brazil’s elections
By February 18, 2026 When fact-checker Talita Burbulhan was doing her daily chores, she saw a TikTok video in which a TV anchor was saying Brazil was on alert due to a new virus hitting the country on the eve of Carnaval week. The anchor said the virus was more aggressive than COVID-19. The video then cut to a regular news broadcast.
Desinformação alimentada por IA aumenta antes das eleições no Brasil
Por 18 fevereiro, 2026 Enquanto a verificadora de fatos Talita Burbulhan realizava suas tarefas diárias, ela viu um vídeo no TikTok em que um âncora de TV afirmava que o Brasil estava em alerta devido a um novo vírus que atingiu o país na véspera da semana do Carnaval. O âncora disse que o vírus era mais agressivo que a COVID-19. O vídeo então cortou para uma transmissão normal de notícias. Abaixo dele, o texto dizia: “O vírus já está no Brasil”.
When celebrity gossip becomes political messaging
By February 4, 2026 Brazil’s most influential political messaging is increasingly appearing in an unlikely place: Instagram gossip accounts best known for tracking the beach bodies and love lives of celebrities. Late last year, some of these accounts began featuring a less glamorous — but far more powerful — figure: Gov. Tarcísio de Freitas of São Paulo.
Quando as fofocas se tornam mensagens políticas
Por 4 fevereiro, 2026 As mensagens políticas mais influentes do Brasil estão surgindo, de forma crescente, em um local improvável: contas de fofoca no Instagram, conhecidas principalmente por acompanhar a vida de celebridades e fotos de famosos na praia. No final do ano passado, alguns desses perfis começaram a destacar uma figura menos glamorosa — porém muito mais poderosa: o governador de São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas.
Cuando el chisme se convierte en mensaje político
Por 4 febrero, 2026 Los mensajes políticos más influyentes de Brasil están apareciendo cada vez más en un lugar inesperado: cuentas de chismes en Instagram, conocidas sobre todo por seguir las andanzas amorosas y los cuerpos curtidos de los famosos. A finales del año pasado, algunas de estas cuentas comenzaron a mostrar a una figura menos glamorosa, pero mucho más poderosa: el gobernador de São Paulo, Tarcísio de Freitas.
Una nueva ley de medios en Brasil desdibuja los límites entre periodistas y creadores de contenido
Por 28 enero, 2026 Las organizaciones de periodismo y radio de todo Brasil están rechazando una nueva ley polémica que amplía la definición del gobierno para trabajadores de medios y podría deteriorar las condiciones laborales de los periodistas profesionales reconocidos a nivel federal. Apodada la “ley de los influencers”, crea una nueva categoría de trabajadores llamada “Profesional Multimedia” para quienes producen y distribuyen contenido en línea.
A new Brazilian media law blurs lines between journalists and content creators
By January 28, 2026 Journalism and radio organizations across Brazil are rejecting a controversial new law that broadens the government’s definition of media workers and could erode working conditions for federally recognized professional journalists. Nicknamed the “influencer law,” it creates a new “Multimedia Professional” category of workers who produce and distribute content online. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva approved law 15.325/2026 in early January.
Uma nova lei de mídia brasileira confunde os limites entre jornalistas e criadores de conteúdo
Por 28 janeiro, 2026 Organizações de jornalismo e radialismo em todo o Brasil estão rejeitando uma nova e polêmica lei que amplia a definição do governo sobre trabalhadores de mídia e que pode precarizar as condições de trabalho de jornalistas profissionais com registro federal. Apelidada de “lei do influenciador”, a medida cria uma nova categoria de trabalhadores, o “Profissional Multimídia”, responsável pela produção e distribuição de conteúdo online.
‘Forest journalists’ are reimagining how stories from the Amazon are told
By January 20, 2026 When U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres held his only interview just before the UN climate summit, or COP30, in Belém, Brazil, he stressed the role of native communities in protecting nature and fighting climate change. Sumaúma is a trilingual journalism project founded in 2022 that reports from and about the Amazon.
Los “periodistas del bosque” están reinventando la forma de contar las historias de la Amazonía
Por 20 enero, 2026 Cuando el secretario general de la ONU, António Guterres, concedió su única entrevista justo antes de la cumbre climática de las Naciones Unidas, o COP30, en Brasil, subrayó el papel de las comunidades originarias en la protección de la naturaleza y la lucha contra el cambio climático. Sumaúma es un proyecto periodístico trilingüe fundado en 2022 que informa desde y sobre la Amazonía.
“Jornalistas Floresta” estão reimaginando como histórias da Amazônia são contadas
Por 20 janeiro, 2026 Quando o secretário-geral da ONU, António Guterres, concedeu a sua única entrevista pouco antes da conferência climática da ONU, ou COP30, em Belém, Brasil, ele destacou o papel das comunidades indígenas na proteção da natureza e no combate às alterações climáticas. “A voz das comunidades indígenas é um componente essencial da COP”, disse Guterres, “e deve inspirar as medidas indispensáveis para evitar uma catástrofe climática”.
Brazil’s Lula sparks backlash with polarizing pick for public broadcaster
By December 9, 2025 Journalist associations and human rights groups in Brazil are criticizing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s decision to appoint a controversial television host and politician to host two news programs on the federal government’s public broadcasting networks.
Lula desata críticas en Brasil por polémica elección para medios públicos
Por 9 diciembre, 2025 Asociaciones de periodistas y grupos de derechos humanos en Brasil están criticando la decisión del presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva de nombrar a un polémico presentador de televisión y político para conducir dos programas informativos en cadenas públicas del país.
Lula gera críticas com escolha polêmica para trabalhar na EBC
Por 9 dezembro, 2025 Associações de jornalistas e grupos de direitos humanos no Brasil estão criticando a decisão do presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva de nomear o polêmico apresentador de televisão e político José Luiz Datena para comandar dois programas na mídia pública.
At COP30, Brazilian outlets teamed up to elevate community voices and climate justice
By November 25, 2025 During this year’s United Nations climate talks in northern Brazil, some news outlets briefly reported on a peripheral yet controversial issue: the price of food during the event. With some 56,000 registered attendees in Belém, a city in the middle of the Amazon rainforest that rarely sees such a surge of visitors, food prices were expected to rise above Brazil’s national averages. But to many local reporters, the coverage from visiting journalists seemed disrespectful.
Meios brasileiros se uniram para amplificar vozes comunitárias e pautar justiça climática na COP30
Por 25 novembro, 2025 Durante as negociações climáticas das Nações Unidas deste ano no norte do Brasil, alguns veículos de comunicação focaram sua cobertura - ainda que brevemente - em uma questão secundária, mas controversa: o preço dos alimentos durante o evento.
Novo manual elaborado por indígenas jornalistas no Brasil visa evitar erros e estereótipos sobre suas comunidades
Por 14 novembro, 2025 Andreza Baré, uma indígena jornalista de 45 anos do povo Baré, do Brasil, luta há mais de duas décadas contra o racismo e os estereótipos sobre os povos nativos em sua profissão. Ela disse que frequentemente ajudava repórteres de fora a entender as questões indígenas, mas muitas vezes se via repetindo as mesmas lições – às vezes para os mesmos colegas. “Era muito cansativo”, disse ela em entrevista à LatAm Journalism Review (LJR).
New manual by Indigenous journalists in Brazil aims to prevent errors and stereotypes about their communities
By November 13, 2025 Andreza Baré, a 45-year-old journalist from Brazil’s Baré people, has for more than two decades fought against racism and the stereotyping of Indigenous people in her profession. She’s frequently helped outside reporters understand Indigenous issues, she said, but she often found herself repeating the same lessons – sometimes to the same colleagues. “It was very tiresome,” she said in an interview with LatAm Journalism Review (LJR).
Nuevo manual de periodistas indígenas en Brasil busca evitar errores y estereotipos sobre sus comunidades
Por 13 noviembre, 2025 Andreza Baré, una periodista de 45 años del pueblo Baré de Brasil, ha luchado durante más de dos décadas contra el racismo y los estereotipos sobre los pueblos indígenas en su profesión. Con frecuencia ha ayudado a periodistas no indígenas a entender los temas indígenas, dijo, pero a menudo se ha encontrado reiterando los mismo puntos, a veces a los mismos colegas. “Era agotador”, dijo en una entrevista con LatAm Journalism Review (LJR).
Periodistas deportivos en Brasil monetizan al hacer pública su afición futbolera
Por 23 septiembre, 2025 Durante casi dos décadas, Alex Sandro dos Santos vivió bajo una regla no escrita del periodismo deportivo brasileño. Narraba partidos, entrevistaba jugadores y analizaba alineaciones, pero nunca revelaba una pregunta en el centro de su pasión por el fútbol: ¿de qué lado estaba? Nunca se puso la camiseta de un club, nunca declaró una lealtad. Eso cambió en marzo de 2020.
In Brazil, sports reporters are cashing in by going public with their team loyalties
By Leonardo Coelho September 23, 2025 For nearly two decades, Alex Sandro dos Santos lived by an unspoken rule of Brazilian sports journalism. He called games, interviewed players and parsed lineups, but never revealed a question at the heart of his passion for soccer: Which side was he on? He never slipped on a club jersey, never declared an allegiance. That changed in March 2020.
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