The Favela Angle

As the Olympics draw nearer, all facets of life in Rio de Janeiro are under sharp scrutiny, particularly the city's sprawling favelas. A stomping ground for many of Rio's drug gangs, the favelas are the frequent subject of morbid fascination--though not so much of balanced reporting. Bob talks to favela activists and community journalists about ongoing police violence, the displacement of local residents because of Olympic venue construction, and the history of shoddy favela coverage. And, how parachuting foreign journalists can get it right this time around.

With activist Maria da Penha; Theresa Williamson, who runs Catalytic Communities and edits Rio on Watch; Wagner Montes, host of a crime show and vice president of the Rio State Assembly; Michel Silva, a founder of community newspaper Fala Roça; and Thais Cavalcante, a journalism student and a founder of O Cidadao (The Citizen), a community newspaper in Mare favela.