Friends say Dom Phillips is a talented British journalist who loves Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO, RG (Fulhapress) – When he left for the Amazon in recent weeks, British journalist Dom Phillips, 57, sent a photo to his family in the UK. From the plane, above the clouds, the rainbow crossed the sky over the forest. It was the last time he called his sister, Sian Phillips, and son-in-law, Paul Sherwood.

The reporter traveled in the company of native Bruno Pereira, a member of the NGO Univaja and an employee on leave from Funai (Indian National Foundation), which was already the target of a series of threats.

The two were last seen Sunday morning (5), in the community of São Rafael, in the Valle de Javari.

Phillips is an experienced reporter in Brazil for 15 years, researching and writing a book called How to Save the Amazon. To make this work possible, he was selected for a grant from the Alicia Patterson Foundation.

The aboriginal Vale de Javari, the journalist’s destination, was often invaded by miners, loggers, hunters and fishermen.

In a letter to Folha de S.Paulo, his brother-in-law stated that Phillips is dedicated to completing research for the book he is writing.

“We would like to underscore how much he loves Brazil and the importance of the research he is doing in the Amazon and how to preserve it, a greatness and hope for the indigenous peoples,” Sherwood wrote.

Phillips grew up in Bippington, a town 8 kilometers south of Liverpool, England. As a young man, he would play the streets in search of money. He began his journalistic career covering the electronic music scene and was the editor of Mixmag magazine.

The Brit wrote a book about the birth of DJ culture, and in 2007 he traveled to Brazil attracted by fellow musicians. According to a letter written by his journalist friends, Phillips planned to stay in São Paulo for a few months, but he felt so at home in the country that he decided to move for good.

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He also lived in Rio de Janeiro, where he loved to bike and paddle, and in recent months, he moved to Salvador, Bahia, the state of his wife Alessandra Sampaio.

She wrote a letter and recorded a video, pleading with the government to intensify the search for the missing.

She said, “We still have a little hope of finding them. Even if I don’t find the love of my life alive, they should be found, please.”

In the letter to the authorities, Alessandra also asked for the urgency of the search. “I want to tell you that my husband, Dom Phillips, loves Brazil and loves the Amazon. He could live anywhere in the world, but he chose to live here.”

In Brazil, Phillips spent many years freelancing for the British newspaper The Guardian. He has also written for The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Financial Times, and The Intercept.

He knows the Amazon very well and has devoted himself to this coverage practically from the moment he arrived in Brazil.

Journalist Andrew Fishman, who contributes to The Intercept, tells the report that Phillips has made several dangerous journeys and that he has a great deal of experience working with indigenous peoples.

“He has become very passionate about fighting for the defense of the Amazon, but he always keeps a very accurate view of the difficult situation at hand – it’s not black and white to him.”

“He has decided to write this book specifically to dig deeper and move forward with the coverage that interests him most,” he wrote in a letter to the report.

Fishman says the friend is “extremely talented” and respected by many Brazilian and international journalists and environmentalists. He also claims that Phillips has “repeatedly turned down very prestigious and lucrative jobs to do what he loves”.

“Dom is one of the most ethical and courageous journalists I know. He has always been very strict in his work and consistent in his analysis.”

In 2019, Phillips became a target for supporters of President Jair Bolsonaro after being questioned at an event about the escalation of deforestation in the Amazon region. The video was repeated on the Bolsonarista networks and garnered thousands of views.

Bolsonaro replied, “First, you have to understand that the Amazon belongs to Brazil, not yours. The first answer is this.”

Dom was so shaken by this video. He felt like it put a goal on his back and made his job difficult. Across the Amazon and in his daily life, he was recognized by all kinds of people as the ‘journalist who got reprimanded by Bolsonaro,’ says Fishman.

He says his friend has expressed concern about policy trends in Brazil, the United Kingdom and the United States, and that he likes to talk about it.

Fishman also claims that Phillips is very generous—”he has amazing sources and doesn’t skimp on sharing them.”

He helped several journalists understand Brazil, volunteered to teach English in the slums of Rio, and when he moved to Salvador, he quickly founded an NGO [Jovens Inovadores] Where he also taught, despite the dangers of Covid-19,” he says.

Journalist Cecilia Oliveira, founder of the Fogo Cruzado platform, visited Phillips in February. She describes him as “a very affectionate, kind and helpful friend”.

“We went to the beach and had dinner and walked around Salvador, which he already knew as well as Rio: the best acarage, the coldest beer,” he says.

Cecilia says that the Briton is a person concerned with human suffering and that his work has a social purpose. “He loves to see the impact of his work on people’s lives. He loves to practice journalism that changes something, exposes abuses, and helps protect those who need protection.”