With more and more publications falling into fewer and fewer hands, much of the mainstream media has become a vehicle for consumerism rather than addressing issues of social importance. In response to this, The Argentina Independent aspires to give voice to those who are ignored by large publications so that their views can be heard and their stories told.
The Indy is dedicated to increasing awareness of the cultural, economic, social, political and environmental sides of Argentine life, whilst promoting tourism. In doing so, the publication supports the only industry that is indiscriminate in helping all classes of society.
We also aim to draw attention to causes and charitable organisations working within Argentina, providing our readers with information on how they can support financially or give their time to volunteering.
Why Argentina?
Before The Argentina Independent launched in 2006 under the name The Argentimes, there was no newspaper aimed at helping English speakers gain a better understanding of Argentina. The Indy’s fresh perspective and journalism has bridged this gap, providing free information on a variety of subjects from up to date news, to the hottest spots to go out in Buenos Aires.
Many consider Argentina to be one of Latin America’s more developed countries. While this may be true, there are still considerable numbers of people living below the international poverty line, something that has been further highlighted by the recent economic troubles. There are many charities and individuals working with these people, helping to improve their economic situation. The Indy highlights these causes and individuals among our target readership, by telling their stories.
The Argentina Independent also works with Hecho en Bs. As., a street publication sold by the homeless in Buenos Aires, contributing an English-language section to the publication to enable vendors to widen their market, selling to tourists as well as locals. The Indy also works in partnership with Pulsar, a news agency run by a network of Latin American community radios, and the Buenos Aires international Human Rights Film Festival.
The Team
The newspaper is produced by a team of journalists and photographers based in Buenos Aires, who are both from Argentina and overseas.
The Argentina Independent editorial team is run by Kristie Robinson, who came to Argentina at the start of 2006. Kristie is a British journalist, who, before starting the publication in June 2006, had worked in both the UK and overseas. She had also worked in the press office of an international development charity based in London. Since coming to Argentina, Kristie has continued writing for overseas publications, working for media as diverse as Channel 4, Marie Claire and the Lonely Planet.
Beatrice Murch is professional photographer from the US who joined the team in April 2009. As the picture editor, she heads up the photography department. She is a freelance photographer for various magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times and Time Out Buenos Aires.
Mark Shaw is a web designer and developer who came from the BBC to join the team at the beginning of 2010. He has worked for many magazines and newspapers in the UK including The British Journal of Photography, Computer Active and Investment Week.
If you are interested in joining The Argentina Independent team, please get in touch! Whilst we are not looking for any permanent staff, and are currently unable to pay contributions, we are always looking for new ideas and article pitches, as well as photographic contributions. Please email info@argentinaindependent.com for more information.
The Indy also runs three (unpaid) internship programmes a year – two semester programmes, running from Sept-Jan and Jan-June, and one summer programme from May-Sept. Three different placements cover journalism, photography and marketing and events.
The journalism internships are ideal for graduates of Spanish and journalism who are looking for some hands-on work experience whilst experiencing a different culture. Places for the internships are currently fully booked until January 2011. The closing date for applications is 1st September. For more information please email info@argentinaindependent.com.
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