Journalist Jorge Lanata, one of the nation’s most famous and renowned journalists, has died at the age of 64.
Lanata passed away in Buenos Aires after six months of hospitalisation, confirmed Radio Mitre, the media outlet he worked for until the middle of this year, presenting the eponymous show Lanata sin filtro.
“Our dear colleague Jorge Lanata has died,” confirmed the radio station in a post on X.
The journalist had suffered from numerous health problems in recent years, including coronary and respiratory problems. He underwent a kidney transplant in 2015.
The radio host’s time in hospital, extending to over six months, was divided between the Italian Hospital and the Santa Catalina rehabilitation clinic, owing to a pneumonía which took him into intensive therapy.
Last June 14 he entered the Italian Hospital in Buenos Aires but was later transferred to the clinic in the hope of recovery until September 18 when he was again admitted to the Italian Hospital.
Born September 12, 1960, in Mar del Plata, Lanata made his mark on Argentine journalism with in-depth investigations into corruption, taking various governments to task over the past four decades.
“His legacy transcends his work, his investigations and his presence in the media. Lanata embodied the critical spirit of journalism, always in search of answers but unafraid of difficult questions,” the FOPEA journalists’ group said in a post on social media.
Lanata’s “insatiable restlessness and his ability to make power uncomfortable and mobilise audiences will be remembered as an inspiration for those of us who believe in free and committed journalism,” the organisation added.
At the age of 27 Lanata first gained mass recognition when he founded daily newspaper Página/12 in 1987, which he ran until 1994.
A progressive-leaning, disruptive media at the time, Página/12 gained high popularity for its investigations into corruption cases involving figures at the height of political power, particularly during the government of former president Carlos Menem (1989-99).
Lanata was also a key figure during the Kirchnerite administrations led by Néstor Kirchner (2003-2007) and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (2007-2015), when he investigated corruption on his must-watch programme Periodismo Para Todos (PPT), broadcast on Canal 13.
The veteran journalist also interviewed high-profile celebrities, including footballer Diego Maradona, musician Charly García and former president Mauricio Macri.
His last job as a communicator was hosting his morning radio show Lanata sin filtro on Radio Mitre, though he was also a writer, television presenter, documentary-maker and founder of other newspapers and magazines.
His personal life always drew attention. From a difficult childhood until an adult life marked by serious health problems, the general public was always interested in knowing about Jorge Lanata’s life. His daughter Bárbara was born to Andrea Rodríguez although afterwards he was married to Patricia Orlando between 1984 and 1986, followed by a relationship with the television hostess Silvina Chediek in 1990 and 1991.
His longest relationship (1998-2016) was with Sara Stewart Brown, with whom he had a daughter Lola. A year before their separation, she donated her kidney in the first crossed kidney transplant in Latin America. Sara gave hers to a young man with Lanata receiving his from the mother of the recipient. By then his health had already become controversial on a number of occasions although he never wanted to give up smoking, despite the medical recommendations.
His last relationship was with the lawyer Elba Marcovecchio, as from 2020 - they married on April 23, 2022. After the wedding, the bride said that what had made her fall in love with him was that "Jorge is a feminist, he believes in the force and energy of we women and I love that about him … Jorge is transparent, what you see is what you get. And so I fell in love with him, with all the good about him and all the baggage. It seems very important to me to be free to express yourself freely."
– TIMES/AFP/PERFIL
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