Elaíze Farias is the editor at Amazônia Real, a media outlet that reports the ongoing violation of Indigenous rights in the Brazilian Amazon. Having grown up on the banks of the Amazon and being of Indigenous origin, she recalls listening to stories about her ancestry passed down from her grandparents in her childhood. As an adult, she pursued a university degree in journalism and later spent time documenting stories of people in Manaus struggling with access to clean water and electricity. From the start of her career, she began to notice how traditional journalism on environmental politics in the Amazon tended to stigmatize or fetishize Indigenous people. “Outsiders like to make the Amazon exotic, like a theatre,” she says. “They want to wow people. They want something they can sell.” It was her observation of this type of coverage that prompted her to spearhead Amazônia Real over a decade ago. Today, she remains dedicated to centering underreported stories from marginalized communities through a decolonized lens. The methodology behind her investigative journalism is very intentional in how it prioritizes the perspective of people often excluded from mainstream media. She openly stands against the oppression of Indigenous peoples and emphasizes the importance of extending journalism beyond publishing a story. When discussing this, she specified how the same communities who trust journalists with their stories and their lives frequently get used as material for news reports only to be discarded after publication. Remaining in touch with communities and individuals who have worked with her and remaining present to offer her support when needed is foundational to building the trust and solidarity that prevents such abandonment. Further beyond her journalism, Farias has also been a part of several lectures and panels alongside various domestic and international organizations to speak about her work and the stories she’s told.
