Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
The commemoration began with the 13th Autumn Radio School 2026, led by the Municipality of Santiago. This event included radio stations from several neighbourhoods aiming to strengthen community communication and promote radio and digital tools for social development.
Sergio Pinto from the UNESCO Regional Office discussed the challenges community media face in enhancing pluralism, civic participation, and social cohesion.
On 12 May, the seminar “Journalism at Risk: Dialogues on the Challenges of Press Freedom in Chile” was held, co-organized by Radio Universidad de Chile and the Coalition for the Strengthening of Freedom of Expression, with support from the German Embassy. It addressed journalist safety, the impact of new technologies, and collective strategies to foster press freedom and freedom of expression from civil society perspectives.
UNESCO Regional Office Director Esther Kuisch Laroche emphasized the importance of professional, ethical, and independent journalism in fact verification, dialogue facilitation, representing diverse voices, and supporting societies in managing tensions without violence or disinformation.
The meeting also featured a panel, "From Diagnosis to Action in the Practice of Journalism," with representatives from Wikimedia Chile, the Observatory of the Right to Communication, the National Institute of Human Rights, and the Chilean Journalists Association, focusing on journalist safety and technological impacts. Another panel, “Dialogues from Civil Society: Collective Strategies,” discussed proposals to strengthen press freedom and expression through collaboration among journalist networks, community media, and civil society organizations.
The programme concluded on 15 May with the World Press Freedom Day Meeting, organized by the UNESCO Chair at Diego Portales University, UNESCO, and the Chilean Association of Communication Researchers. It brought together academics, researchers, and representatives of national and international organizations to reflect on the main challenges faced by the information ecosystem in Chile and Latin America.
During this event, the study "News Deserts in Chile," developed by CIP-UDP with the Gabo Foundation, was presented and included commentary from the Association of Broadcasters of Chile (ARCH).