The general environment of the editions about the choice of Rio to host the Olympics was a lot of celebration and little journalism
“It could take years until everything is ready and people may have to deal with a long period of need for this brief abundance. But they live for this moment and work hard toward that end.”
That seems like a description of the state of Brazilians’ spirit over the next seven years, until the 2016 Olympics, but the passage is from the fabulous book recommended below in which Elias Canetti describes one of the prototypes of the masses, parties, which are typified in his masterpiece.
The nation last weekend lived a rare moment in which almost all of its inhabitants shared a common feeling, in this case, a nationalistic delirium motivated by the choice of Rio to host the Games.
In 1985, there was another situation like this, that time a mystical furor to find the faith to save the life of President-Elect Tancredo Neves, followed by intense mourning after his death.
On both occasions, in a phenomenon that could be understood by reading Canetti, collective irrationality prevailed. Twenty-four years ago, Folha confronted it with a critical spirit and correct information that first had cost it a lot of hostility, but afterward was worth recognizing for the courage to have maintained its healthy skepticism that is indispensable to journalism.
Last Saturday, however, it gave into the nationwide drunkenness with the exuberant front page limited to reproducing information and images that its readers had already gotten tired of the day before on TV and the Internet and with a special section whose headline shouted “GREAT people,” in agreement with the official line that the choice of Rio made Brazil a first-class country.
Few columnists and a story here and there clashed with the patriotic symphony, but the general environment in the editions during the weekend and Monday, including an interview with the sports minister that spared uncomfortable questions and a few formulated ones that let him escape with the most banal answers, was a lot of celebration and little journalism.
Most readers who contacted the ombudsman liked it. Only two lamented the contagion to which the newspaper had submitted itself. Luis Bernardo Froes asked for “a historic review of what happened during the Pan-American games in 2007, in terms of resources invested and their source, resources and employment generated, public works carried out and what remained of them.” He said, “more than the euphoria… it would be useful to review and illuminate what occurred in that similar situation.”
Diogo Molina asked: “Why doesn’t the newspaper do a special supplement so we can know how public education, public health, assistance for retirees, violence and treatment for recovering addicts are going in the marvelous city (referring to Rio by its nickname)?”
They could be uncomfortable topics for the parties by the masses. But it would be wise for the newspaper to give them priority.
TO READ
“The Masses and Power,” by Elias Canetti, translation by Sergio Tellaroli, Companhia das Letras Publishing, 1995 (starting at 48.51 reals, or U.S. $27.91)
TO SEE
“Children of Glory,” by Krisztina Goda, 2006 (starting at 29.90 reals)
YOU JUST CAN’T MISS READING THE DAILY NEWSPAPER
Nothing is written in any sacred text that printed newspapers will disappear due to competition from electronic media. What history teaches us is that they will survive, as did radio after TV and regular TV after pay TV.
Every specific news organization will maintain or lose circulation and social and political relevance depending on market strategies and editorial choices they make.
In two headlines on the front page this week (Tuesday and Thursday), Folha showed the type of material that should always be on its front pages for readers to consider it indispensable for their lives.
Exclusive, confirmed stories about topics of material interest and the right of almost everyone who pays income taxes (retention of tax returns and tightening of scrutiny over the middle class) attracted the attention of society.
This is what print newspapers must do: check out and reveal unprecedented facts which surprise and motivate reading by the public, not repeat information that they already learned hours before without adding anything new.
WHO IS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR? *
Letters
from readers 68
from people in the news 4
Centimeters
from readers 474
from people in the news 50
*from Oct. 3 to 9, 2009
WHAT FOLHA DID RIGHT…
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Since measuring the space of the section began here a year ago, this week had the most participation of readers
… AND WHERE IT DID BADLY
RELIGION
The agreement between Brazil and the Vatican is approved on the final reading, and the newspaper loses the opportunity to promote a public debate before the final vote
NOTARIES
Coverage of progress in the Constitutional amendment which grants registry of notaries has been timid
H1N1 FLU
A story on Saturday about opinion surveys which ask if Brazilians felt symptoms of the flu over the past three and a half months concludes that 51.3 million could have had the flu borders on “nonsense”
WORTH REMEMBERING
Cases that need to be looked at again
It’s been nearly a month since the ranking of car pollution, with criteria contested by various experts; despite the good editorial debating the topic on Sept. 19, the topic is forgotten in the report
TOPICS MOST COMMENTED DURING THE WEEK
1. Honduras
2. Rio 2016 Olympics
3. Standardized school tests
– Translation by John Wright
