Lack of Coverage

I’m on a mission to interview a journalist from every country in the world!And for episode 5, I'm joined by Leonardo Coelho, from Brazil.Leonardo describes curiosity as his defining trait – and it's clear to see why. He does not confine himself to a singular niche but rather writes about a range of issues in Brazil:From his reporting on how facial recognition cameras in Rio have led to wrongful arrests, to the city’s unique urban violence problem.And from online radicalization on Brazilian dark web chans, to the use of AI technologies made in Europe, banned in Europe, but used in Brazil to register the attendance of school children.All this and much more is discussed in the podcast.Hope you all enjoy the episode!Warnings: Adult ThemesCHAPTERS:00:00 Intro00:48 Path to journalism 08:43 Facial recognition in Rio16:18 Urban violence Rio28:19 Online Radicalisation41:15 Classroom Attendance via AI 54:37 Curiosity & Closing Follow me:Instagram: ⁠@lackofcoverageTikTok: ⁠@lackofcoverageSubstack: ⁠@lackofcoverage⁠

I’m on a mission to interview a journalist from every country in the world! For episode 4, I’m delighted to be joined by Helene Aecherli (Switzerland).From a career that began by covering the opening of hair salons in her hometown of Lucerne, journalism has taken Helene across the world.She’s reported from Guantanamo Bay, where her creative article uses the courtroom sketch artist as its narrative thread.From Egypt, where her award-nominated piece “Dangerous Singles” focuses on unmarried women over 28, who are regarded as a “security threat” by conservative politicians in the country.And from Yemen where, beyond journalism alone, she set up a humanitarian project called “Salt for Sewing Machines” in 2015.Helene was also named by Schweizer Journalist, as their reporter of the year for 2019.We discuss all of this and much more over the next hour.Hope you all enjoy the episode!CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro00:46 Growing Up03:34 Entering the Profession of Journalism08:00 MENA & Nuance 13:53 Yemen29:30 Salt for Sewing Machines34:35 “Dangerous Singles” in Egypt40:42 Gender & Journalism44:37 Guantanamo 51:57 Being “Unconventional” in journalism55:24 Personal ReflectionsFollow me:Substack: ⁠@lackofcoverage⁠ (https://lackofcoverage.substack.com/)Instagram: ⁠@lackofcoverage (https://www.instagram.com/lackofcoverage/)TikTok: ⁠@lackofcoverage (https://www.tiktok.com/@lackofcoverage)Warnings: Adult themes.

I’m on a mission to interview a journalist from every country in the world!For episode 3, I'm joined by Gwen Lister (Namibia).As a young girl, Gwen witnessed the great injustices of apartheid and decided to fight this through the medium of journalism.She did this from Namibia, which was under South African control, and launched the independent newspaper “The Namibian” in 1985.The paper exposed human rights violations committed by apartheid South Africa's occupying forces, and was a key voice in the fight for Namibia’s independence.And whilst Gwen was jailed twice (including when 4 months pregnant), faced threats on her life, and had her offices firebombed on multiple occasions, her newspaper never missed an edition.---CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro00:41 Growing up in an apartheid society 04:30 Why Namibia?06:21 The Windhoek Observer13:48 Starting The Namibian, obstacles, and arrest21:33 Motivation, imprisonment, and personal impact24:47 Namibia's independence 27:33 Attacks on The Namibian30:31 Role post-independence37:48 Leaving The Namibian 42:56 NMT Media Foundation & importance of print---Follow me:Substack: ⁠@lackofcoverage⁠ (https://lackofcoverage.substack.com/)Instagram: ⁠@lackofcoverage (https://www.instagram.com/lackofcoverage/)TikTok: ⁠@lackofcoverage ⁠(https://www.tiktok.com/@lackofcoverage)Warnings: Adult themes.

I’m on a mission to interview a journalist from every country in the world!For Episode 2, I’m joined by Serbeze Haxhiaj (Kosovo).Serbeze started out in journalism as a teenager around the same time that the Kosovo war began in 1998, which led to her becoming a refugee. Over an almost 30 year journalism career, her work has focused on topics such war crimes, reconciliation, human rights, and corruption – all of which we touch upon in this podcast.Aside from her extensive work, we also discuss the human side of journalism and the emotional weight that comes with a career in the profession.---CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro01:20 Growing Up in Kosovo08:39 The Kosovo War15:08 Returning to Kosovo18:27 Interethnic Stories26:37 Future of Interethnic Relations34:50 Victims of Wartime Sexual Violence42:52 Emotional Toll of Journalism50:17 Corruption in Post-War Kosovo57:13 Reflections---Follow me:Substack: ⁠@lackofcoverage⁠Instagram: ⁠@lackofcoverage ⁠TikTok: ⁠@lackofcoverage ⁠YouTube: ⁠@lackofcoverage⁠LinkedIn: ⁠Lack of Coverage Warnings: Strong language, adult themes, discussion of sexual violence.

I’m on a mission to interview a journalist from every country in the world!For Episode 1, I’m joined by Simon Vera (The Netherlands). Back in 2024, Simon became the first journalist in the world to spend time with the Fano rebel group in Ethiopia.His area of expertise is in East Africa, and he spends his time travelling around the region writing about topics such as conflict, human rights, and climate change.In the episode, we discuss his time with Fano, why he was barred from entering Tanzania, and much more!---CHAPTERS:00:00 Intro01:06 Early Years & Uni05:35 Who Are Fano?10:19 Accessing Fano15:20 Drone Strike Aftermath21:01 Daily Life with Fano25:46 Barred from Entering Tanzania31:29 Roaming Journalist in East Africa35:17 Sudan Plans40:28 Climate and Conservation47:17 Follow Simon's Work--- Follow Simon:Substack: @simonvera LinkedIn: Simon Vera Instagram: @simonvera.mh---Follow me:Substack: @lackofcoverageInstagram: @lackofcoverage TikTok: @lackofcoverage  YouTube: @lackofcoverageLinkedIn: Lack of Coverage Warnings: Strong language and adult themes