Sofia da Palma Rodrigues is a Portuguese reporter who divides her time between Lisbon, Portugal, and Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. She holds a master's degree in Science Communication and a PhD in Post-colonial Studies.

For the past ten years, she has worked as a journalist across Europe, Africa, and Latin America, with particular experience as an investigative reporter. Her career spans the interconnected worlds of journalism, documentary filmmaking, and academia.

In 2014, she co-founded Divergente, a Portuguese digital magazine specialising in narrative journalism. The publication focuses on investigative and immersive stories that bring innovative approaches to contemporary journalism. Under her leadership as co-founder and editor-in-chief, Divergente won Prix Europe's Best European Online Media Project award in 2022.

Her academic research centres on post-colonial studies, with recent work examining the micro-narratives of African troops who fought alongside Portugal during the Colonial War (1961-1974).

She serves as a board member of Bagabaga Studios, a cooperative dedicated to the production, training, and research of digital media and development.

Sofia da Palma Rodrigues

Basic information

Name
Sofia da Palma Rodrigues
Title
Editor-in-Chief and Investigative Reporter
Country
Portugal
City
Lisbon

Supported projects

Arsonist country: Hard Truth About Fires In Portugal

  • Climate
  • Environment

MONCHIQUE / HERMISENDE - In recent decades, forest fires in Portugal and Spain have reached unprecedented levels, with these two countries registering the largest burnt areas in Europe. Intentional arson is one of the main causes of fire. The investigation by Divergente and El Confidencial tried to see the reasons behind. The findings are presented in a variety of formats, from podcasts to text to interactive maps.

The Non-voter Time Bomb

  • Politics
  • Social affairs

LISBOA - The non-voter time bomb is a data-driven journalism feature that profiles voter abstention across the European Union (EU) over the last 50 years and analyses it according to different demographic and socioeconomic indicators for each of the 27 member states.

Divergente

Land of plenty, land of but a few

  • Agriculture
  • Economy

MAPUTO - “Land of plenty, land of but a few” is a web documentary and a data journalism investigation that tells the story of how the peasants who live in the Nacala Corridor, one of the most fertile and populated areas of Mozambique, have been heavily affected by the arrival of large agricultural investments. More about the story here.

Game On

  • Migration
  • Sport
  • Trafficking

LISBON - Hundreds of African and South-American minors come to Europe each year searching for a better life and professional success in the El Dorado of European football leagues. In doing so they expose themselves to multimillionaire cross-national structures of power and quick profits.