Award-winning Colombian journalist Hollman Morris is using social networking sites such as 'Twitter', 'Facebook' and 'YouTube' in an attempt to self-finance his investigative reporting program 'Contravia'.
In the first scheme of it's type in Latin America, Hollman Morris is encouraging his viewers and followers to make small donations to support the show. 'Contravia' which has recently aired programmes in support of indigenous tribes and has been critical of numerous government organisations including the controversial DAS (Colombian department for security.)
Although popular in the US ,the new scheme is set to be the first of its type in Latin America and could signify the birth of a new era in news production in the region.
Morris has indicated that previous funding by foreign governments and various international organisations will be replaced by financial support from the public. In the next two months, the campaign is looking to raise the $190,000 necessary to produce 26 episodes that will air from July to December of 2011.
Investigative reporting in Latin America has always been a risky business and in 2009 Morris found himself in the middle of a dispute with ex-president Alvaro Uribe. The ex-President of Colombia had accused Hollman Morris with links to FARC (Revolutionary armed forces of Colombia). The links were unfounded and Uribe has been criticised for putting the journalists life in danger.
Morris has seen himself in the centre of a visa dispute in which a United States visa was denied. The reason for denial is widely believed to be payback for 'Contravia's' investigation into the DAS scandal. 'Contravia' was investigating the lack of concrete action by the Colombian government after illegal wire-taps, surveillance and intimidation into what has been dubbed 'Colombia's Watergate'.
'Contravia' has recently aired programming in support of the indigenous Awa tribe that have been displaced by an ongoing armed conflict between such organisations as the FARC (Revolutionary armed forces of Colombia) the ELN (National Liberation Army) and the Colombian army. Amnesty International has condemned the treatment of the Awa tribe who have suffered immeasurably since the massacre of over 50 Men, Women and Children in 2009 and the use of Land mines on and around the region they inhabit.
WJ Watkinson
To find out more:
http://contravia.tv/apoye-a-contravia/#enlinea
Although popular in the US ,the new scheme is set to be the first of its type in Latin America and could signify the birth of a new era in news production in the region.
Morris has indicated that previous funding by foreign governments and various international organisations will be replaced by financial support from the public. In the next two months, the campaign is looking to raise the $190,000 necessary to produce 26 episodes that will air from July to December of 2011.
Investigative reporting in Latin America has always been a risky business and in 2009 Morris found himself in the middle of a dispute with ex-president Alvaro Uribe. The ex-President of Colombia had accused Hollman Morris with links to FARC (Revolutionary armed forces of Colombia). The links were unfounded and Uribe has been criticised for putting the journalists life in danger.
Morris has seen himself in the centre of a visa dispute in which a United States visa was denied. The reason for denial is widely believed to be payback for 'Contravia's' investigation into the DAS scandal. 'Contravia' was investigating the lack of concrete action by the Colombian government after illegal wire-taps, surveillance and intimidation into what has been dubbed 'Colombia's Watergate'.
'Contravia' has recently aired programming in support of the indigenous Awa tribe that have been displaced by an ongoing armed conflict between such organisations as the FARC (Revolutionary armed forces of Colombia) the ELN (National Liberation Army) and the Colombian army. Amnesty International has condemned the treatment of the Awa tribe who have suffered immeasurably since the massacre of over 50 Men, Women and Children in 2009 and the use of Land mines on and around the region they inhabit.
WJ Watkinson
To find out more:
http://contravia.tv/apoye-a-contravia/#enlinea 
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