Bush and alternative sources
Folha’s initiative to seek new sources is bold: the lack of names to which the press resorts and the absence of contrary information are visible
This week Folha distributed a communique to all its editors asking that they prepare a report on the areas of journalistic coverage that they consider most important under their responsibility. Starting with this definition, the newspaper intends to compose lists of sources of information for each of the sectors chosen.
According to the communique, signed by the managing editor for production, Vaguinaldo Marinheiro, an internal survey showed that the newspaper consults few sources to carry out reporting. “It also showed that we always hear from the same people,” according to the note. “The intention is to enrich these relationships (of sources) to the maximum with those who can diversify the newspaper’s voices.”
The initiative is welcome. In the first place, because the newspaper has, among its editorial commitments, pluralism, justified this way: “In a complex society, every fact is given to multiple, sometimes antagonistic, interpretations. Folha readers should have their right of access to all of them assured. All ideological tendencies expressed in society should be represented in the newspaper.”
In second place, the diagnosis of the managing editor is correct: the lack of names to which the press resorts is visible and the absence of the contrary in stories; the eyes perceive the absence of contradictory information in stories; the repetition of the same “experts” as usual is disconcerting.
The issue of ethanol
President George W. Bush’s visit helps to exemplify the size of gravity of the problem that Folha intends to confront. I am unable to analyze yesterday’s and today’s coverage because I am writing this column on Friday. But an analysis of stories published from March 1 through the day before yesterday – the period of preparation and presentation of the visit – showed a few angles: the negotiations over ethanol, the uncomfortable presence of President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, U.S. policy toward Latin America and security issues, organization of the trip and tumult in So Paulo. These were the principal areas of coverage.
Of the 89 items (stories, briefs, opinion pieces and editorials) that I analyzed, 30 referred to ethanol in some way. Practically all of them had the same viewpoint, that the bio-combustible will have an economic benefit for Brazil, and perhaps, for humanity. Independent of the differences with the United States over import duties on ethanol exported by Brazil, the absolute majority of items gave no space to questions by economists, agriculturists and environmentalists who have objections to the unbridled growth of sugar cane to make ethanol. “There is euphoria in the government,” said one of Folha’s stories. It could be said that the enthusiasm applies to the press.
I found few diverging opinions, skeptics or, at even concern about such euphoria. The most important protest was an insignificant brief: “For U.N., ethanol is a threat to the Amazon – Achim Steiner, of the U.N. Environment Program for the Environment, fears that, to meet international demand, areas in the rain forest would be used to plant sugar cane.” (March 6).
Columnist Vinicius Torres Freire said in two columns that “environmental concern is growing” and posed the following questions: “Is there environmental risk in the expansion of sugar cane? Worst of all: what will happen to the millions of jobs in the sector, with the advancement of mechanization and with the lack of small farms?” Joseph Stiglitz, a winner of the Nobel Prize for economics, in an interview with the newspaper, mentioned that “there are concerns among environmentalists that demand for ethanol will make an increase in demand for land” and that “as with everything, when you resolve one problem, it could create a new batch of problems.”
Not all the protests against the Bush visit can be expressed as discordant voices. There is information that various organizations condemned the negotiations with the United States over ethanol, there are quotes that a bishop said the perspective is “sinister” but there is no space for arguments. In a story about the protests, the newspaper wrote that “they protest against … sugar cane” as if there were some logic. The impression that the newspapers gave was that we were dealing with a band of crazy radicals.
Other cases
The problem is not only at Folha. Various studies done by organizations that observe the work of the press show our misery. Some examples: The Center for Security and Citizenship Studies (Cesec) at Candido Mendes University analyzed coverage of crime and violence in nine newspapers in So Paulo, Rio and Minas Gerais for five months in 2004 and concluded that only 36.40f the stories showed more than one source, 10.5ontained differing opinions and 32.5% are based only on police.
Another survey done by the same institute of eight Rio newspapers had a similar result: 36.50f the stories had more than one source and only 8.4ontained differing opinions. Even at a newspaper such as “O Globo,” with the profile closest to Folha, the results left a lot to be desired: 470f the stories analyzed had only one source and only 13.1arried various opinions. In newspapers for the working class, such as “O Povo,” the rate of stories with differing opinions is 4.6%.
The Agency for News About the Rights of Children (Andi) carried out 17 surveys in newspapers since 2000 to evaluate coverage with social themes (such as drugs, human rights, citizenship, health, physical defects, education) and others, such as the use of genetically modified organisms. One look at surveys resulted in only 10.120f stories analyzed that carried different opinions and 89.88% were monotonous. The biggest rate found of plurality in coverage involved the use of genetically modified organisms, which came to 36.5%.
In coverage about drugs, only 8.40f the stories analyzed carried for readers more than one point of view. Another controversial topic – public policies of communications – got similar treatment: 84.30f the stories did not explore the confrontations that the topic stimulates in society.
Pluralism
Finally, Folha’s initiative to seek new sources of diversification to support the newsroom is bold. I made a point of looking into ways in which institutions, organizations and voices that today aren’t found in the newspaper’s space for opinion or information can be presented.
Messages directed to the ombudsman with the sender identified and objective data about specialization or areas of activity will be sent to the newsroom with the hope that they can contribute to the production of journalism that is truly pluralistic.
Translation by John Wright
