Back in June 2011, civil unrest proved its ability to act as a catalyst for political change and amid bloody riots in Rio de Janeiro’s Leblon district, a new breed of journalism emerged. Frustrated by a lack of coverage or censorship by mainstream media and unacceptable treatment by police, citizen journalists began shooting with weapons of mass communication – smartphone imagery, social media and 4G – to live-broadcast frontline protests and political strife themselves.

Incorporating a Portuguese acronym for ‘Independent Narratives Journalism and Action’, today Mídia Ninja has a news platform of over 2000 contributors spread across the globe to encourage transparent insight into what’s actually happening in the world. Most recently, ‘Ninjas’ covered the violent eviction of over three thousand people by over two thousand police on a farm in the Goias district when it was declared ‘unproductive’ by a state senator.

Co-founder Bruno Torturra says that common sense guides the movement: “Our main role is to reclaim journalism and communications for ourselves. The activists’ role is to act as the public’s eyes and to offer information increasingly qualified to defend democracy.” Unlike traditional media, Ninjas engage directly with online audiences to far surpass coverage levels that traditional Brazilian media receives. From the challenge of educating new communicators in grassroots communities, to the production of increasingly better content, Mídia Ninja empowers journalists to build their own narratives, demanding greater media transparency for society on a vast scale.

Natasha has rendered her insatiable nosiness into a career in journalism and PR. When not juggling projects in Barcelona, she'll be surfing in North Spain or Cornwall.