Governments Restrict Journalist Access, Skewing Conflict Coverage

Key Quotes

"We've made it within eyesight of Venezuela, but we have not gotten permission to go in as journalists. We've still been talking to people who are coming in and out of Venezuela."

NPR international correspondent Eyder Peralta explains that despite reaching the border city of Cúcuta in Colombia, his team has been unable to gain official access to Venezuela as journalists. Peralta highlights the ongoing effort to gather information by speaking with individuals who are crossing the border.

"I always say that 90% of journalism is waiting. There's a small Venezuelan consulate here, and there are dozens of international journalists here. That bridge is full and teeming with journalists trying to do the same exact thing that we're trying to do, which is to get into Venezuela."

Eyder Peralta describes the significant waiting and bureaucratic hurdles faced by journalists attempting to enter Venezuela. Peralta notes that numerous international reporters are gathered at the Venezuelan consulate, all seeking the necessary visas to cover the story.

"Right now, we're fine because we're in another country. I think it's always risk versus reward. I know it sounds wrong to see it that way, but you're thinking about what story you can get and what risk you're going to have to take to get this story."

Eyder Peralta discusses the inherent risk assessment involved in reporting from potentially dangerous situations. Peralta explains that journalists must constantly weigh the potential journalistic value of a story against the personal risks they might have to take to obtain it.

"I think they just make you patient, honestly. Also, I think this is, in an odd way, I feel like the world is changing, governments are changing, and what governments across the world have learned is that they don't have to allow journalists into their country."

Eyder Peralta reflects on how his past experiences as a correspondent have fostered patience, while also observing a global shift in government control over media access. Peralta notes that governments are increasingly restricting journalists' entry, a trend he has witnessed in various conflict zones.

"We heard a lot of anger about what the United States had just done. These 200 or so people moved through the streets, they waved Colombian flags, they finally made it to a square. What was interesting is that, as often happens, a couple of people came up to me and they were like, 'Hey, hey, hey, don't be covering them, come here, I'll tell you the truth.'"

Eyder Peralta recounts an encounter during a protest in Colombia, where individuals expressed anger towards the US intervention in Venezuela and sought to share their perspectives directly with him. Peralta observed that some protesters actively tried to redirect his attention to their personal narratives.