Unreported World
CHANNEL 4, 7.30PM
The last episode in what has been a typically excellent series of Unreported World sees Ade Adepitan heading to Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. “I never expected to wear a flak jacket in a city… I always thought it would be in a war zone,” he admits. Of course, Rio’s favelas are a war zone in their own way, as recent events – including the assassination of local politician Marielle Franco – make devastatingly clear.
Adepitan’s focus is with the young reporters of Voz Das Comunidades, a local newspaper run entirely from within the favela, whose founder Rene Silva, now 24, started at the age of 11 “to report the stories not covered by the media”. Today, Voz, which covers everything from the terrible living conditions in the favela to the increased violence between criminal gangs and police, is a vital media presence. It’s not all smooth sailing, however. While the team are determined to cover the detrimental effects that the gangs and police have on their community, they are also wary of reporting on the actual crimes, with Silva admitting: “I’ve never been stopped [by gangs] from writing about it but I prefer not to because it’s a great risk to myself and my family.” Sarah Hughes