Two topics in Folha’s edition last Sunday merit reflection: the photographic essay and the interview with secretary Fernanda Karina Somaggio, and the two-page back and forth with So Paulo Mayor Jos Serra. (Somaggio worked for publicist Marcos Valerio de Souza, who is accused of running a scheme to pay out monthly “allowances” to legislators in exchange for political support).
Both were highlighted with headlines on the newspaper’s front page: “Karina speaks about former boss and nudity” (the Brazilian edition of Playboy offered her nearly $1 million to pose nude) illustrated with a big photograph of the secretary wearing a leopard skin top, and “Lula is smaller than the current political crisis, Serra says.” (Serra lost the 2002 election to President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva).
The first material, produced by Folha Magazine (“Disloyal muse”) was an absolute record for messages to the ombudsman. There were 72, with 52 on Sunday and Monday alone. The majority (43) were sent by men. All opposed publication.
Controversial stories always get strong reactions, but rarely as much as in this case. Different from angry demands that I followed in other episodes, this time the messages expressed disappointment. Here is what teacher Doralice Arajo of Curitiba said: “Discomfort and disappointment were what I felt seeing Karina Somaggio – the opportunist of the moment – on Folha’s front page.”
Readers found the material to be “in bad taste,” “sensationalistic,” “bizarre,” “scandalous,” “vulgar,” “improper,” “futile,” “mediocre,” disrespectful” and a long list of adjectives. The biggest criticism was the fact that the newspaper showed the photo of the secretary on the front page. Here is the opinion, for example, of audiologist Rosana Am Brusco of So Paulo: “I thought the magazine went overboard by giving so much space to Fernanda Somaggio, but to put her on the front page of the newspaper is an absurd exaggeration in scope! I don’t consider this a serious or adequate topic, or of interest to the public. It is clear that if it were something tied to the congressional investigation, it would make sense. Now, photos in a bra or bikini, I don’t know, it is just too much.”
Many readers asked why Folha published the material: “To sell newspapers?” “For lack of a topic?” “To cheer against democracy?” “For irony?” “To demoralize the secretary?”
“Disloyal muse” was an absolute record for messages to the ombudsman. There were 72, with 52 on Sunday and Monday alone. The majority (43) were sent by men. All opposed publication.
The editor of the magazine, Vera Guimares Martins, responded: “The reason the magazine did the story is the same that guides all of our work: cover, without prejudging, topics and people who affect in some way the daily lives of readers. The former secretary is a key person in events the country is going through now: she came out making serious disclosures with a lecture based on ethics, got space in the media, was sounded out as a possible candidate for public office and was asked to pose nude. Only this unusual combination has already created a personality who deserves to be profiled for readers.”
I found the story in the magazine to be well written, while I find the commentary that Lus Nassif made in his column on Thursday to be an exaggeration: “There were readers who do not understand adequately. But the front page of Folha Magazine, with secretary Karina, is a masterpiece of sarcastic journalism, as well as a story and photos, a classic of the stature of Joel Silveira.” Journalist Alberto Dines, of the Press Observatory, found the interview “clever,” in the sense of “lively, right in subtleties and overall nothing tedious.”
In my opinion, there were two serious problems in the edition. First, the graphic treatment on the front page, that did not know how to translate the irony that the magazine’s text contains. It was a grotesque exposition giving airs of hot news.
The second problem is that the newspaper on that Sunday abused jokes about the topic that people are taking seriously. The result was what reader Paulo Nogueira of So Bernardo, defined as “carnivalizing”: besides an essay in poor taste about the secretary, Folha published two pages in the arts and entertainment section with schedules for the nightly soap operas (“Sarabandalha,” “Cut from the same cloth,” “Mozzarella with Bananas”) which ridiculed the “allowance” scandal. “It would be funny if it were not so tragic,” summarized Filipe Barini of Rio de Janeiro.
And the presidential contenders
The second topic of the week was the interview with Mayor Jos Serra on two pages, in the same edition last Sunday, with the headlines “Lula has become smaller than the crisis, Serra says” and “PT administration ends without beginning” (referring to the left-leaning Workers Party).
In this case, the reaction of readers was different from the behavior that took place in relation to the photos of Fernanda Karina. The interview renewed criticism by those who believe that the newspaper is against the PT administration and favors the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB).
The newspaper has the right to interview whom it pleases, and I believe that the So Paulo mayor merits an interview for the role he represents in national policy. What made me uncomfortable was the back and forth tone. For this, I made the following commentary in my internal critique on Monday:
“I believe it is quite appropriate that the newspaper interview Mayor Jos Serra about the crisis because in the end he is one of the presidential hopefuls and does well in electoral polls. But I don’t consider it appropriate for the newspaper to not ask a single critical question, not even questions related to his term as mayor or in the administration of ex-President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, in which he served as a Cabinet minister. The case of Eduardo Azeredo, PSDB president, is only mentioned, without any questions. There are only two pages with the purpose of allowing Jos Serra to analyze the crisis without any counterpoint, without exploring the contradictions. I also believe the interview with Ricardo Berzoini, the PT general secretary (“Berzoini blames Delbio and Genoino for the crisis”) was condescending. The newspaper does not explore, for example, the role of Jos Dirceu in the scheme and gives no details about the accusations against Lula. In both cases, regarding Serra and Berzoini, the newspaper turned on the tape recorder and let them say what they wanted. I don’t know if this is in accord with the critical journalism and questioning that is the stated goal.”
Reader Cleiton Sotte of So Paulo was not shy about expressing his feelings: “Besides, what was that blank slate interview with Jos Serra all about?”
On Monday, the newspaper ran an editorial, “Interview with Serra,” commenting on the mayor’s ideas. Serra was described as an “astute analyst” who “reasoned about the crisis from a lofty point of view or enough to distance himself from the ordinary political dispute – but not from evidence that he is attracted to the idea of running for president.” Also: “The newspaper spoke to a politician, who having prepared himself to govern the country, was defeated by an adversary whose term, besides obvious political and administrative weaknesses, proved him to be contaminated by diversions of money and damaging the strength of a republican culture.”
A few hours later Rio de Janeiro Mayor Cesar Maia, another presidential hopeful and member of the conservative Liberal Front Party (PFL), unveiled his blog with a succinct commentary: “The FSP (Folha de So Paulo) editorial on Aug. 1, 2005 makes it clear that FSP already has a candidate: Mayor Jos Serra.” This is the impression that various readers had.
One of the big problems in journalistic coverage of the current crisis, provoked by accusations of corruption that involve the government and the political parties, is that this is the backdrop for the 2006 presidential election. Editorial balance is difficult, but the newspaper has the obligation to pursue it if it does not want to see its impartiality questioned.
I don’t know if the newsroom plans new interviews with other presidential hopefuls. But I imagine that Anthony Garotinho, Cesar Maia, Helosa Helena and the incumbent all have the ability to make astute analyses about the crisis and get the same space that was given to Jos Serra and get the same questions.
Translation by John Wright
