Luis Botello is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience building and enabling free and independent press around the world. After covering international and domestic affairs in Latin America, he became a strong advocate for press freedom and high standards in journalism. The driving force behind his career is his mission to promote high-quality, in-depth reporting that holds governments accountable.
Botello currently serves as President of the Media for Democracy Foundation and Senior Advisor at the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ). Prior to this he served as Deputy Vice President of Global Impact and Strategy at ICFJ, overseeing monitoring, evaluation, and learning process and leading ICFJ’s efforts in ensuring programs’ impact. In previous leadership roles at ICFJ, he launched the International Journalists Network (IJNet), and expanded ICFJ’s presence in Latin America, where it is now a journalism organization that develops groundbreaking programs on journalism ethics, press freedom, digital technology, and investigative reporting in more than 20 countries.
He has taught courses at American University, Hampton University, and the Interamerican Defense College in Washington, D.C., as well as the Iberoamerican University in Mexico City. Botello is also an international media analyst for major news networks such as CNN en Español, NTN24, and Voice of America. He serves as a board member for the Fund for Investigative Journalism, the Border Center for Journalism and Bloggers, and the Latin American Center for Journalism (CELAP).
He has a master’s degree in mass communications and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Louisiana State University.