International Journalist of the Year Nominee Spotlight: Guillermo Galdos
As we count down to the One World Media Awards 2019, we’ll be celebrating the incredible work of each of our three International Journalist of the Year Award nominees. Next up is Guillermo Galdos, the Latin America correspondent for Channel 4 News.
Documentary filmmaker and journalist Guillermo Galdos has been nominated for our International Journalist of the Year Award 2019. Over the past 15 years, Guillermo has filmed and documented stories from hard-to-reach places in Latin and South America for Channel 4 News. He has covered immigration, the drug and trade administration, and has exposed both the human trafficking industry and police corruption. Effortlessly, he switches between producer, cameraman, and interviewer depending upon the story he’s portraying. Guillermo’s journalism is, in its purest form, an advocate for the people. His videos act as a guardian of the public, both informing and uncovering crucial truths that people deserve to know.
Recently, Guillermo reported on Latin American immigrants trying to reach the United States in search of a better life for their families. Using film, he showed the heart-breaking and harrowing journey of families crossing the US border, as Trump’s travel restrictions were becoming tougher and his immigration policies were growing harsher. With his ability to report on his subjects in a deeply personal and emotionally palpable way, Guillermo’s coverage of migrants’ journeys to the US during the time that Trump’s family separation policy was in effect is some of his strongest work. Specifically, “Riding ‘The Death Train’ to America’s Border” stands out for its explicit documentation of migrant families struggling to find safety in America, only to later be deported and ripped apart from their children. Guillermo was able to capture the catastrophic consequences of the policy and follow its ruinous aftermath; the treacherous journey across the border, the deportation of immigrants, the separation of parents from children, the struggle for families to reunite.
Among Guillermo’s other significant reporting is his film on transwomen coffee pickers in Colombia. As Colombia is currently one the most dangerous places in the world for transgender individuals, Guillermo’s footage of the women was engrossing to watch. His decision to report on such an unconventional topic made the piece even more captivating, since it’s likely that viewers are learning about this subject for the first time.
Guillermo films his stories in an up-close and personal way. The footage is shaky, raw and so intensely immersed in the scene that it’s as if the viewer is seeing the event unfold right there in person. As one of our jurors said, “His stories and images will remain in our minds for a very long time.”
As an organisation, One World Media supports journalism in its endeavour to bring underreported stories to the public’s attention. While uncovering human rights abuses, Guillermo’s reporting digs beneath the surface of a story to reveal the fundamental humanity that lies at the core of human experience. As a journalist, Guillermo has the remarkable ability to document an individual’s story in a way that transcends personal narrative and grounds itself in the overarching societal and political context. In this way, Guillermo’s journalism embodies One World Media’s belief in media’s ability to connect people by highlighting the common threads that run between us and extend across the world; the threads that remind us of our shared humanity.