Ernesto McCausland

Ernesto McCausland Sojo (January 4, 1961 – November 21, 2012 ) was a Colombian journalist, writer, and filmmaker.

Career

McCausland began his journalism career in 1982 as a crime reporter for his hometown newspaper, El Heraldo.

He later worked in narrative journalism across print, radio, and television. He hosted Mundo Costeño, a narrative journalism program on the regional channel Telecaribe that focused on everyday life and cultural practices in Colombia’s Caribbean region.

In the mid-1990s, McCausland worked as a news anchor for QAP Noticias. From 2007, he hosted A las 11, an interview program on Telecaribe. Beginning in 2008, he served as a co-anchor of El Radar on Canal Caracol. He also served as a presenter at the Vallenato Legend Festival on multiple occasions.

McCausland contributed articles to the Colombian magazine SoHo and the Spanish magazine Interviú, and wrote columns for El Heraldo.

In 1998, he founded the production studio La Esquina del Cine, where he produced audiovisual projects based in Colombia’s Caribbean region.

Over the course of his career, McCausland received several journalism awards.

Books

Examples of McCausland’s work in narrative journalism were collected in his book Las crónicas de McCausland (Espasa, 1996). His writing has also been included in anthologies such as Antología de grandes reportajes colombianos and Antología de grandes crónicas colombianas (both Alfaguara), edited by Daniel Samper.

He published two novels: Febrero escarlata (Planeta, 2004) and El alma del acordeón (Intermedio, 2006).

Filmography

McCausland directed three feature films: El último carnaval, Champeta Paradise, and Siniestro. Siniestro received the award for Best Colombian Film in 2000. He also directed 14 short films and several documentaries.

Awards

Simón Bolívar Award, Urrá, los costos del retraso – El Heraldo, 1983 Simón Bolívar Award, De la calle a la gloria – Mundo Costeño, Telecaribe, 1987 India Catalina Award, Best Telecaribe Program – Mundo Costeño, 1988 Postobón Award, Didí en Medellín – Mundo Costeño, 1989 Gama Award, Best Telecaribe Program – Mundo Costeño, 1989 CPB Award, Dos vidas, un mineral – Mundo Costeño, 1991 Simón Bolívar Award, La promesa del campeón – Mundo Costeño, 1993 Simón Bolívar Award, Efraín Camargo – QAP Noticias, 1996 Ministry of Culture Award, Siniestro – Colombia, 2000–2001 India Catalina TV Award, Toda una vida, 2004