A Few Good Writers?

Ben Ortiz MPA 1994

Unlike Tom Cruise in "A Few Good Men," Ben Ortiz can handle the truth.

And the truth — according to Ortiz — is that the world needs better journalists.

This frank comment, considering it comes from a man who has been a journalist for all of his adult life, seems surprising. But to hear Ortiz talk about his self-chosen and loved profession, the statement actually sounds encouraging.

"We need to discover new ways to communicate," he said. "We need better writers and better human beings — not just people looking for the next scandal. We need to create a new journalist who doesn’t look just at market share. It’s possible to get something better. Each person is a treasure with nice things inside."

It was this same optimism that propelled Ortiz into starting his own newspaper in Ecuador nearly 20 years ago. At the time, the country was just returning to a democracy after nearly a century of military dictatorship fraught with assassinations, political turmoil, and uncertainty. Ortiz and his partner knew there was the space — and need — in this new Ecuador for an independent newspaper that would look at the issues critically but fairly.

"Not only was it a democratic opportunity," he said of their decision to start Hoy, "but a technological one as well. Newspapers were just starting to use computers for editing, design, and layout. We also recognized the improvement of electronic communication, particularly television. This wasn’t well understood by the traditional press, so it created a real opportunity for us."

In fact, opportunities have exploded all over Latin America. On a continent where elected politicians have replaced many military despots and democracies have created capitalistic economies, the role of journalism has changed. As the Columbia Journalism Review reported in its January/February 1998 issue, "Latin American journalists are flexing new muscle, exposing scandal, probing corruption, even toppling presidents."

It was Hoy that helped send Abdalá Bucaram, a corrupt Ecuadorian president, packing his bags in 1998. The paper ran a series of investigative articles about the eccentric Bucaram, including one that revealed he had diverted funds raised at a telethon for poor children. Bucaram was eventually forced from office.

It is hard-hitting stories like the Bucaram series that have helped Hoy establish a dedicated base of readers. That base, Ortiz points out, is a critical element for the long-term success of any independent, self-supporting media outlet.

"Credibility with the audience is very important," he said. "We have followers that trust us, so we survive. If they didn’t, we wouldn’t be able to finance our operation."

In many ways, the base of Hoy and other newspapers has expanded, which, this die-hard journalist admits, isn’t a bad thing.

"Newspapers are no longer local," he said. "I used to read the newspapers every morning at 7 a.m. at home. Now, with the Internet, I read the papers online before the hard copy even arrives. The Internet has allowed readers to see information on issues and reactions from all over the world in just seconds. It’s an invaluable tool."

Having said this, Oritz, who stepped down as editor of Hoy in order to spend more time writing and trying to set up an issues-oriented television program, was adamant that electronic communication would never entirely replace hard-copy newspapers.

"The Internet is a support, but I never want it to replace the newspaper," he said, smiling and shaking his head. "There’s something warm and unique about holding the paper in your hands."