Save the Children's Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, in partnership with the Inter American Press Association and the Gabo Foundation, announced the winners of the second edition of the Save the Children Journalism Award for Latin America and the Caribbean, a contest that seeks to promote journalism that gives a voice to children and adolescents in the region, placing their interests, situations, problems, problems and their stories on the public agenda.

In this second edition, 200 applications were received for journalistic works on the promotion, defense and/or violation of the rights of children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean that were published in a media outlet in the region.

In a virtual ceremony, Save the Children awarded the 4 best journalistic works that give voice to children and adolescents in radio, television, digital and printed press.

The task of selecting the best works was entrusted to a group of judges made up of: Ginna Morelo, journalist and teacher of the Gabo Foundation, Will Grant, BBC correspondent in Latin America, Mariana Belloso, journalist representing the Inter American Press Association and Alejandra Meglioli, Director of Program Quality and Impact of Save the Children for Latin America and the Caribbean. 

The winners of the Save the Children Journalism Award for Latin America and the Caribbean 2023 are the following:

- In the printed press category, the winner is Ricardo Hernández Ruiz from the media outlet Gatopardo with the report: Los niños de la Zafra https://gatopardo.com/reportajes/los-ninos-de-la-zafra/.

- In the television press category, the winner is Gracielly Bittencourt Machado of TV Brasil with the report Orfaos do Femenicidio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRbA6EhU8WY&t=826s

- In the radio category, the winner is Sarah Fernades with the podcast: Mined Childhood from the media Brasil de Fato: https://on.soundcloud.com/jV7pE

- In the digital press category, the winner was Manuel Ureste from Animal Político with the investigative report Niñez migrante, promesas de papel (animalpolitico.com).

By decision of the Jury, an Honorific Mention was included in the award to Natalia Herrera for the investigative report El Tren de Aragua: detrás de la explotación sexual de migrantes en Latinoamérica by El Espectador, from Colombia, and the media of Alianza Rebelde Investiga (Runrun.es, El Pitazo and Tal Cual), from Venezuela. El Tren de Aragua: behind the sexual exploitation of migrants in Latin America | EL ESPECTADOR

During the award ceremony Violeta, teenage member of Save the Children's Gannar advisory group stated:

"I think that the role of the journalist is extremely important because it is that person who is in charge of investigating, talking to the communities and transmitting those messages, those stories to society. This is precisely why it is important that their investigative work is transparent, that they talk to the families in the communities and to the children and adolescents in order to transmit our stories in a more transparent way. I invite all journalists to work in a more transparent format, to talk to the communities, to the families, to the children, to the adolescents. To work with them so that their stories are transmitted in a more organic and truthful way".

Monica Kuljich, Save the Children's Director of Communications and Media for Latin America and the Caribbean says:

"We are very pleased to announce the winners of the second edition of the Save the Children Journalism Award for Latin America and the Caribbean. This year we received more than twice as many applications as in the first edition. This fills us with great emotion as it indicates that the award is getting stronger and that more and more journalists are interested in disseminating the issues that are impacting children and adolescents in our region. Save the Children will always be an ally of the media to make visible the problems and diverse realities experienced by children in Latin America and the Caribbean, and around the world."

The rules of the award and more information can be found on the website: periodismosavethechildren.org