Jorge Lanata

Jorge Lanata
Jorge Lanata
Born	Template:Birth date; Mar del Plata, Argentina
Died	December 30, 2024 (aged 64)
Occupation(s)	Journalist, writer
Years active	1977–2024
Known for	Founder of Página 12; host of Lanata sin filtro and Periodismo para todos

Jorge Ernesto Lanata (12 September 1960 – 30 December 2024) was a distinguished Argentine journalist and writer. He established the newspaper Página 12 in 1987 and contributed extensively to television, print media, radio, and documentary filmmaking. In 2012, Lanata became part of the Clarín Group, where he hosted Lanata sin filtro on Radio Mitre as well as Periodismo para todos on El Trece. Throughout his career, he was honored with numerous accolades, including the prestigious Golden Martín Fierro Award. After facing health complications in 2024, he died on 30 December.

Biography

Lanata was born in Mar del Plata and began his professional journey working as a waiter and technician at Radio Nacional. His journalism career commenced in 1977 with contributions to magazines such as Siete Días and El Porteño. At the age of 26, he launched Página 12, a publication that brought to light significant scandals like Swiftgate, which involved bribery within Carlos Menem's administration, and the cocaine trafficking scandal known as Yomagate.

Subsequently, he founded additional magazines including Página 30 in 1990 and Veintiuno in 1998. Lanata also hosted radio programs like Hora 25 and Rompecabezas. In 2008, he initiated the newspaper Crítica de la Argentina, which unfortunately faced bankruptcy shortly after its inception. While reporting for Perfil, Lanata exposed a financial scandal implicating minister Felisa Miceli, which ultimately led to her incarceration in 2012.

His documentary work includes productions such as Deuda, focused on Argentina’s external debt crisis, and Tan lejos, tan cerca: Malvinas, 25 años después, commemorating the anniversary of the Falklands War.

Lanata’s television career began in 1997 with shows like Día D and Detrás de las Noticias broadcast on América TV. Between 2009 and 2011, he presented Después de Todo on Canal 26. After joining the Clarín Group in 2012, he contributed editorials to Clarín. His radio program Lanata sin filtro, aired on Radio Mitre, played a critical role when a key witness’s testimony triggered the investigation known as the Ciccone case, probing alleged corruption by Vice President Amado Boudou.

He created the investigative television series Periodismo para todos, which revealed the money laundering operation called the K money trail, leading to convictions of Lázaro and Martín Báez. This program earned multiple awards; notably at the 2013 Martín Fierro Awards, Lanata popularized the term "la grieta" ("the chasm") to describe Argentina’s deep political divide. In 2015, he developed the short-lived show El argentino más inteligente and was honored with that year’s Golden Martín Fierro Award. Due to declining health, production of Periodismo para todos ceased after 2018; Lanata also reduced his involvement with Lanata sin filtro, which continued until its final season in 2023.

Books

Jorge Lanata authored numerous works spanning fiction and non-fiction genres. Early contributions include pieces for the 1987 publication El nuevo periodismo and the 1988 book La guerra de las piedras, which was based on his coverage during the First Intifada. His book Polaroids features profiles of notable figures such as writer Tomás Eloy Martínez, musician Fito Páez, and military officer Emilio Massera. His debut novel, Historia de Teller (1992), narrates the story of a rock musician withdrawing from fame. The investigative work Cortinas de Humo examines the bombings of the Buenos Aires Israeli embassy and AMIA in 1992. The collection Vuelta de página assembles his investigative articles from Página/12 around the time he left that publication.

His major success came with the 2003 book Argentinos, which explores Argentina's history from its colonization through modern times; this was written during the period of the December 2001 riots in Argentina. It sold more than half a million copies and was reissued as a single volume in 2008. Following this, Lanata published ADN. El mapa genético de los defectos argentinos (2004) along with Enciclopedia universal del verso, a compilation for XXI magazine. His novel from 2007, Muertos de amor, is a historical tale set during the Dirty War focusing on guerrilla fighters. Interview collections include titles like Hora 25 (2008) and 26 personas para salvar al mundo (2012).

In 2014, Lanata released 10K, la década robada, which exposes corruption during Néstor Kirchner’s and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner’s administrations while analyzing conflicts between Kirchnerism and the media. His autobiography published in 2017, titled 56. Cuarenta años de periodismo y algo de vida personal, details both his professional trajectory and private life. The bestselling book released in 2023, Óxido. Historia de la corrupción en Argentina, provides an extensive account of corruption scandals throughout Argentine history, maintaining top sales rankings for nine consecutive weeks.

Personal life

During Jorge Lanata's infancy, his foster mother Angélica was bedridden and unable to speak, resulting in his upbringing being entrusted to his aunts. His first significant relationship was with Patricia Orlando, whom he encountered in 1984 while working on his radio show Sin Anestesia. After two years, he ended that relationship and began seeing Andrea Rodríguez, another colleague from his radio career. Lanata and Rodríguez welcomed their daughter Bárbara in 1989. Although he separated from Rodríguez that same year, he maintained a respectful and friendly connection with their daughter. In 1990, Lanata married journalist Silvina Chediek in New York City; however, the marriage ended in divorce just one year later for reasons that were not publicly disclosed.

Following a period of being single, Lanata met Sara Stewart Brown during the filming of the program Día D. The couple married privately in 2011 and had a daughter named Lola. In 2015, Brown donated a kidney to a child, whose mother subsequently donated one to Lanata, an act that saved his life. Their marriage ended in 2016 due to disagreements arising from Lanata's demanding professional commitments.

Lanata's final marriage was to Elba Marcovecchio. Unlike his previous relationships, he spoke openly about this partnership. They were wed by priest Guillermo Marcó, formerly the spokesperson for Jorge Bergoglio (Pope Francis). Although married, they resided in separate apartments within the same building. Lanata also formed a strong relationship with Marcovecchio’s two children. Following Lanata’s hospitalization, Marcovecchio became involved in public disputes with his daughters concerning alleged misuse of credit cards and decisions made during Lanata’s coma. These disagreements were ultimately resolved through mediation overseen by judge Lucila Inés Córdoba.

Health problems and death

Jorge Lanata confronted several serious health challenges throughout his life. According to his physician Julio Bruetman, he struggled with severe sleep apnea requiring nightly use of breathing apparatuses, kidney failure that mandated dialysis treatments, and type 2 diabetes associated with obesity—at one point weighing nearly 150 kilograms in 1999 and narrowly avoiding a diabetic coma. Despite medical warnings, he continued smoking regularly and was a long-term cocaine user, consuming approximately eight grams daily over ten years before eventually undergoing detoxification treatment in the United States.

In June 2024, Lanata was admitted to the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires and subsequently transferred briefly to the Santa Catalina clinic for neurological rehabilitation in September. However, complications related to his kidneys necessitated his return to the hospital. On 9 October, he underwent surgery for intestinal ischemia during which 70 centimeters of his intestines were removed. His health remained unstable afterward; although his family wished for him to stay at the clinic for ongoing care, this was not feasible. Marcovecchio reported that Lanata remained calm during his final weeks as no further medical interventions were possible. He passed away on 30 December 2024 due to multiple organ failure.

Lanata’s funeral services were held at Buenos Aires’ House of Culture on 1–2 January and were open to the public. Attendees included family members, notable journalists such as Ernesto Tenembaum and María O'Donnell, singer Chano Moreno Charpentier, producer Pablo Codevilla, as well as politicians like Patricia Bullrich who sent a wreath. He was laid to rest at Campanario Jardín de Paz cemetery located in Florencio Varela.

Numerous political figures expressed their condolences following his death: Elisa Carrió, Carolina Píparo, Ramiro Marra, Fernando Iglesias, Patricia Bullrich, Maximiliano Ferraro, Marcela Pagano, Jorge Macri, Horacio Rodríguez Larreta, Luis Petri, and former president Mauricio Macri. The Radical Civic Union released an official statement through its X account. President Javier Milei initially chose not to make a public comment in order to avoid political controversy.

Awards and nominations


Award	Year	Work	Category	Outcome
Martín Fierro Awards	1996	Rompecabezas	Outstanding radio journalism program	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	1996	Día D	Outstanding television journalism program	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	1996	Individual	Excellence in journalism	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	1997	Día D	Outstanding television journalism program	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	1997	Individual	Excellence in journalism	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	1999	Día D	Outstanding television journalism program	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	1999	Individual	Best male journalist work	Template:Nom
Martín Fierro Awards	2001	Individual	Best male journalist work	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2003	Individual	Best male journalist work	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2005	Individual	Best male journalist work in radio	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2012	Individual	Best male journalist work in radio	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2012	Periodismo para todos	Outstanding television journalism program	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2013	Individual	Best male journalist work	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2013	Periodismo para todos	Outstanding television journalism program	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2014	Individual	Best male journalist work in radio	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2014	Periodismo para todos	Outstanding television journalism program	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2015	Individual	Best male journalist work	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2015	Periodismo para todos	Outstanding television journalism program	Template:Won
Martín Fierro Awards	2015	Individual	Golden Martín Fierro Award	Template:Won
Tato Awards	2012	Periodismo para todos	Best journalistic program	Template:Won
Tato Awards	2012	Individual	Best male journalist work	Template:Won
Tato Awards	2013	Periodismo para todos	Best journalistic program	Template:Won
Tato Awards	2013	Individual	Best journalistic host	Template:Won
Tato Awards	2013	Periodismo para todos	Program of the year	Template:Won
Tato Awards	2015	Periodismo para todos	Best journalistic program	Template:Won
Tato Awards	2015	Individual	Best journalistic host	Template:Won
Konex Award	1997	Individual	Diploma of Merit – Journalistic Direction	Template:Won
Konex Award	2007	Individual	Diploma of Merit – Television	Template:Won
Konex Award	2007	Individual	Platinum Konex Award	Template:Won
Konex Award	2017	Individual	Diploma of Merit – Television	Template:Won
Konex Award	2017	Individual	Platinum Konex Award	Template:Won