Early in the morning on Thursday, about 3 a.m., Brazils Chamber of Deputies approved on the first vote the tax reform legislation submitted by the administration of President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva.
The event topped Thursdays television and radio news in the morning, afternoon and evening as well as news on Web sites. The Rio de Janeiro daily O Globo produced a special edition in the early morning hours, giving the event a front-page headline. By the end of the day, in theory, there was nobody who did not know what had happened.
What was the attitude of the main newspapers, in their Friday editions, after being unable to report the news (except Globo) on Thursday? They sought to highlight on their front pages the next step, or day after news (see box).
The exception this time was Folha: It underestimated the wide dissemination and consequences of the event more than 24 hours, publishing a cold, out-of-place headline (Government approves tax reform) with a photograph of members of Congress from the governing alliance celebrating the victory.
Not by coincidence, a colleague commented about having had a momentary sensation, when picking up the newspaper on Friday afternoon, that he was reading a day-old newspaper (from Thursday).
The matter would not deserve mention in this column if not for what seems to me was insinuated as the meaning and utility of a printed newspaper at a time that news is produced in real time, with speed, abundance and amplitude unimaginable just a few years ago.
I cant assert that this was Folhas rationale, but the idea has existed for many years of registering history, among other duties, even to the detriment of the temperature of the particular headline.
While this principle was valid in the past, it is being rethought because of technological advances and the increasing complementarity, in the eyes of the consumer, of the different news media. The survival of print journalism and the definition of its future are going through this revision, and the cold sensation on Folhas front page on Friday shows the need for change. Wasnt the historic event already registered in various ways the day before? Wouldnt the pertinence of the newspaper on Friday be to show in the headline something beyond what has been exhaustively announced?
Its enough to make it clear that a lot of this was done on the inside pages (analyses about the implications of the reform and a behind-the-scenes look at the negotiations, for example). But the first page is the synthesis of the newspapers spirit, its showcase, its spotlight. And, in this case, the dimmed light shows that Folha still has a lot to reflect on about its function here and how, not during the past century.
Disconnected alarm
Folha published on the front page of its real estate section on Sunday, Aug. 31, a story titled Amnesty, with a subhead that said: Despite City Hall estimating at 2 million the number of undocumented dwellings in So Paulo, a minority seek to be registered, when the deadline ends in a month.
To the side was a box that instructed how and why to register. In the story, a residents representative complained that City Hall did not publicize adequately and a director tied to the city administration asserted that most people wait until the last minute.
As you can see, it was no big deal except for one detail: The story, about something related to the left-leaning Workers Party (PT) administration in So Paulo, carried the byline of a journalist (free-lancer) who, since Aug. 13 has occupied the post of chief of staff for a member of the City Council who belongs to the opposition (centrist) Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). PT is the party to which President Lula belongs, while PSDB is the party to which his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, belongs. Thats where the problem began (the case was even brought up at the City Council).
The supplements editor, Patrcia Trudes da Veiga, asserted that on Friday journalist Srgio Duran informed her about his appointment 10 to 15 days earlier. She explained that on the occasion the free-lancer had already written two stories, one about the amnesty and another about inspection of buildings, still not published.
She added that the week before, Aug. 31, Duran did an update on data in the story about the amnesty.
As for publication of the material, the journalist sees no problem: Besides impartiality, it is purely a public service piece: the steps to register homes and the consequences of not obtaining documentation. It was warmed up (it was ready 10 days ago) with numbers that showed a low adherence to the amnesty law.
Even defending what was done, the supplements editor made it clear: Obviously, he (Duran) is not going to work on the real estate section any longer.
Duplicity
In the middle of the past century, it was common for journalists to also have other employment, even political (in governments or on public entities). Folha, like a good part of the press, took years to break the habit and implement a rule against double loyalties, double collaboration (with the newspaper and a politician or authority) in its newsroom. It was necessary to make the newspaper independent of outside interests, with the goal of producing journalism that is critical, impartial and to assert its credibility to readers.
If the practice still survives in part of the media in this country (like the pernicious survival of government-sponsored paid material in news organizations shown in a story published Tuesday by the newspaper involving Paran state), in Folha it has been fought seriously.
It was courageous in this case that the news organization announced that the journalist would no longer contribute to the section (at least while he occupies his current political position). I agree with the attenuating circumstances and the appropriate journalistic treatment of the story.
But none of this erases the unacceptable duplicity printed on a page in the newspaper, aggravated by the fact that the topic of the story is tied to the PT administration in So Paulo. Srgio Duran, with whom I also spoke and whose professional capabilities and personal integrity are not in question here took the same stance as the newsroom leadership, but added a rationale that merits reflection:
There certainly is a risk that we accept by being modest, dealing with an inoffensive service story with a balanced story.
In effect, updating the story by the same reporter and publishing the material instead of postponing it or giving another journalist the task of rewriting it, the newspaper exposes itself and becomes vulnerable to criticism about lack of impartiality. Taking on such a risk, even small, should not be run.
This unusual flexibility (isnt updating a story journalistic work?) and this condescending attitude concerning the risk in contrast to the rigidity that Folha took in similar cases for the past 20 years are serious; they give the impression some alarm is turned off or defective.
Finally, if it has lasted so long and remains in effect the arduous gradual adoption of a culture of independence inside the newsroom, it is reasonable to suppose that the (undesired) backpedaling of this trajectory also did not occur suddenly from one day to the next. Rather, it happened slowly, without boasting in isolated events such as this one, which by itself at least should serve as a cautionary sign for Folha.
Trip to Istanbul
I am traveling this week to Istanbul, Turkey, to participate in the annual meeting of the Organization of News Ombudsman (ONO). From Thursday, Sept. 11, to Friday, Sept. 19, urgent cases from readers will be handled by Rosngela Pimentel, secretary in the ombudsmans department.
The column will be published once again on Sept
