About this episode
This episode discusses the challenges faced by independent journalists in El Salvador, particularly in light of government pressure and surveillance, as highlighted by the work of El Faro and its editor Carlos Dada.
Something to ponder in connection with World Press Freedom Day: If you faced serious punishment for doing your job, would you quit and look for a new one? Or would you continue pursuing your chosen calling? Releasing in the leadup to World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2026, this episode of The FRONTLINE Dispatch revisits the reporting at the center of the film The Deal: Trump, Bukele & the Gangs of El Salvador , and explores the risks facing independent journalists. Among them: The team at the Salvadoran news outlet El Faro, whose work anchors the documentary. In conversation with FRONTLINE Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath, El Faro Editor-in-Chief Carlos Dada reflect on the outlet’s investigation that exposed alleged negotiations between President Nayib Bukele’s government and gang leaders — and that drew intense backlash. Dada, now working in exile like much of El Faro’s staff, describes the escalating pressure on his newsroom: accusations from Bukele, surveillance using Pegasus spyware, and sustained harassment of reporters. Despite those challenges, Dada frames the decision to keep reporting as a mission and a mantra: “Silence is not an option.” The…
People in this episode
Host: Raney Aronson-Rath
Guest: Carlos Dada
Topics covered
- press freedom
- journalism risks
- El Salvador
- gang violence
- government surveillance
- independent media
Keywords
- journalism
- El Faro
- Nayib Bukele
- press freedom
- surveillance
- gangs
- MS-13
- independent media
- reporting risks
- World Press Freedom Day
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: El Faro, MS-13
Books & works: The Deal: Trump, Bukele & the Gangs of El Salvador
Places: El Salvador
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