Maria Vitória Launberg Ramos, an accomplished Brazilian journalist, co-founded and heads Fiquem Sabendo, a pioneering non-governmental organization committed to fostering transparency through Freedom of Access to Information (FOI/FOIA). In 2023, she expanded her influence as a visiting scholar at Columbia University’s Center for Global Economy and Governance (BRICLab), an opportunity made possible by a Ling Institute scholarship.
Her significant contributions to data journalism and public information access in Brazil have garnered numerous awards. She is a three-time recipient of the Cláudio Weber Abramo Data Journalism Award and has consecutively won the Mosca Journalism Award for five years. Additionally, her work has been recognized on an international level, with finalist nominations in the SIGMA Awards, a leading global accolade for data journalism, in 2021 and 2022.
In a collaborative effort with Tais Seibt, Maria Vitória has educated over 3,000 journalists, indigenous community members, and activists in utilizing the Brazilian FOIA (LAI) to uphold their rights. Their joint initiative led to the creation of WikiLAI, a comprehensive online repository for FOIA information, funded by a grant from the US Embassy.
Maria Vitória’s journalistic journey began at Ponte Jornalismo, where she exposed Human Rights violations and police brutality. This experience inspired her to write “Indigentes: the State That Buries Without Warning,” a book that compellingly narrates the distressing reality of families unknowingly searching for loved ones who have been secretly buried by the government.
Pronouns: She/her