David Adams: A Veteran Voice in Latin American Crisis Reporting
We’ve followed David Adams’s four-decade career as a journalist whose work bridges the complex realities of Latin American politics, crime, and media freedom. Based in Miami, his reporting has become a critical lens for understanding Haiti’s escalating crises and the broader regional dynamics shaping governance and civil society.
Career Trajectory: From Central American Conflicts to Haitian Unrest
- 1987–1992: Freelanced in Central America during civil wars, contributing to The Economist and BBC.
- 1992–2007: Served as Latin America correspondent for the Tampa Bay Times, covering the U.S. invasion of Panama and Zapatista uprising.
- 2007–2015: Miami bureau chief for Thomson Reuters, expanding coverage of Caribbean socio-political shifts.
- 2016–Present: Senior roles at Univision News and freelance contributions to The New York Times en Español, focusing on Haiti’s collapse.
Key Articles: Unpacking Haiti’s Multilayered Crisis
- Haitian press face ‘existential crisis’ with no end to gang violence (Committee to Protect Journalists) This investigation details how gangs systematically target journalists, with 15 media workers killed in 2023 alone. Adams traces the collapse of Le Nouvelliste, Haiti’s oldest newspaper, through interviews with editors who’ve relocated newsrooms to basements and safe houses. The piece exposes the paradox of international aid: while $105 million was pledged for Haitian media in 2022, less than 8% reached local outlets due to bureaucratic hurdles. His analysis of weapon trafficking routes from Florida ports to Haitian gangs underscores the U.S.’s unintended role in the crisis.
- La crisis de seguridad en Haití: más de 5600 homicidios en un año (The New York Times en Español) Adams combines UN crime statistics with ground-level reporting from Port-au-Prince’s Cité Soleil slum, where gang leaders now collect “taxes” from residents. The article reveals how 73% of homicides involve high-caliber weapons smuggled past understaffed checkpoints. A chilling vignette follows a pediatrician treating gunshot wounds in a hospital without anesthesia. Adams contrasts Haiti’s 9,000 police officers with the estimated 15,000 active gang members, questioning the efficacy of proposed Kenyan-led peacekeeping forces.
- Desaparición y asesinato de periodistas en Haití: un patrón de impunidad (Univision News) Through the 2023 murder of radio journalist Dumesky Kersaint, Adams documents the Haitian National Police’s failure to solve any of the 28 journalist killings since 2020. Forensic evidence from a leaked autopsy report shows Kersaint was tortured with power tools before execution. The piece highlights WhatsApp voice notes journalists now send to colleagues as “digital wills” before dangerous assignments. Adams critiques the OAS’s stalled $2 million protection fund, bogged down by donor conditions.
Beat Analysis & Pitching Recommendations
1. Ground-Level Impacts of International Aid Programs
Adams consistently scrutinizes how foreign assistance (particularly from the U.S. and UN) interacts with local realities. A 2023 piece revealed that $30 million in USAID hospital funds inadvertently financed gang-controlled construction firms. Successful pitches should offer access to:
- NGO workers who can share unclassified internal threat assessments
- Customs data showing arms shipment discrepancies
- Former peacekeepers willing to discuss on-record frustrations
2. Forensic Documentation of Gang Operations
His reporting incorporates leaked gang ledgers, weapon serial numbers, and geolocated social media posts. A 2024 investigation used cryptocurrency transaction records to map gang financing. Valuable sources include:
- Blockchain analysts tracking crypto-ransom payments
- Former gang members with knowledge of supply chains
- Port authorities documenting suspicious shipments
3. Media Innovation in Conflict Zones
Adams highlights makeshift solutions like Haiti’s “radio backpacks” – portable transmitters used when stations are destroyed. Pitches should focus on:
- Engineers developing low-power FM transmitters
- Psychologists treating trauma in newsrooms
- Legal experts advancing journalist asylum cases
Awards and Achievements
- Maria Moors Cabot Prize (2002): Columbia University’s highest honor for Latin American reporting, recognizing his Nicaragua Contra war coverage. The jury noted his “ability to humanize statistical horrors” in refugee camp dispatches.
- Paul Hansell Award (1999): Awarded for a Tampa Bay Times series exposing Florida’s role in laundering Haitian drug profits. The investigation led to the seizure of $23 million from Miami shell companies.
