Patricia Spadaro

Content created by Virtual Intern  Nini Vo

Patricia Spadaro, a courageous journalist, was the editor in chief for El Nacional, Venezuela's largest national newspaper, until its final printed edition in 2018. The paper stopped issuing a printed edition due to the high cost of supplies. Referring to the media situation in her home country, Spadaro says, "Social media has now taken the place of traditional news outlets due to the current information blackout."

In 2000, Spadaro joined a group of Latin American journalists to participate in the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) project titled "The Role of the Media in a Free and Democratic Society." During her IVLP, Spadaro visited several newsrooms, including the Washington Post, the Oregonian, and CNN, and discussed the importance of local journalism, the decline of printed media, and the evolving digital era.

Spadaro says, "The exchange between the U.S and Latin American colleagues enriched our understanding of the challenges journalism was facing at the moment." In 2018, Spadaro returned to the United States through an invitation from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to share direct experiences of oppression and limitations on press freedom in Venezuela.

As an advocate for freedom of the press and speech, Patricia Spadaro continues her efforts to keep Venezuelans informed through her current work with Reporte Ya, a prominent citizen-based journalism network.

Edited by Virtual Interns Regina Navarro-Gomez and Kristin Mitra