I return to the topic of celebrity journalism prompted by a new episode. “O Estado de So Paulo” and Folha on Wednesday published a photograph of singer/songwriter Chico Buarque in the afternoon at Leblon beach in Rio, kissing a woman.
Folha ran the photo in Mnica Bergamo’s column in the arts and entertainment section, but pulled it after 200f the edition, about 60,000 newspapers, had already been printed. The editions that I received in Rio (national and So Paulo) did not have the photograph.
“Estado” published a small version of the same photo on its front page and in its entirety on an inside page. The text on the first: “Personality. She is only a friend, Chico said after the kiss. The singer/songwriter is on the cover of the magazine ‘Quem’ photographed at Leblon beach.”
I found the publication of the “gotcha” photo to be inopportune. Because I did not see the picture in Folha, I only commented on the “Estado” case in my internal critique: “‘Estado’ is giving in to the wave of celebrity journalism and today published … a photo of singer/songwriter Chico Buarque kissing a woman at Leblon beach. The journalistic justification is that the photo is on the cover of a celebrity magazine.”
The same Wednesday, “Dirio de So Paulo,” published by the same group that puts out “O Globo” in Rio, also published the photo, while two magazines, ‘Quem’ and ‘Contigo,’ went to the newsstands with the original photos. The following day, ‘Agora,’ a daily published by the company Folha da Manh which also puts out Folha, reproduced the photos with the name of Chico’s friend and the information that she is married.
I sent an email to “Estado” and received the following justification from Executive Editor Roberto Gazzi: “We understand that Chico Buarque, due to his fame, is always a big journalistic topic. In this case, being a public figure and photographed in a public place, we do not consider that what happened constituted an invasion of privacy.”
Folha justified the publication with the same arguments. And why did it remove the photo in the middle of the press run? The explanation by Managing Editor Suzanne Singer: “We decided to remove the photo when we received information that the woman is married and has small children. Between meeting public curiosity and exposing children to possible troubling situations, we opted not to publish. The intention was not to protect Chico Buarque.”
I believe it was a correct decision by the newspaper to suppress the photograph. And I continue to debate the interest of newspapers such as Folha and “Estado” in cases such as this in which there is no relevance, except curiosity.
I have two observations about this topic.
1 — It is true that Chico Buarque and his partner at the beach have the right to protect their privacy. As for their willingness to be affectionate at the beach, in the middle of the afternoon, it is clear that they were subjected to the curiosity of people and the press. I find it understandable that publications which thrive on following performers and celebrities are interested in the photo.
2 — But newspapers which intend to be serious, opinion makers such as Folha and “Estado,” how should they behave? It is not an easy answer. First, because the newspapers themselves recognize that they are being boorish, heavy-handed and must change. In what direction? Second, because they need to increase and renew their readership and must compete for young readers with TV, the Internet and entertainment magazines. Third, because there is increasing pressure for this type of coverage, considered light and inconsequential.
To the point, there was a good phrase in “Estado” on Friday. Commenting on the situation of British newspapers, which are being shaken up to not lose market share, Editor Robert Thomson of “The Times” joked: “The public for serious journalism is being increased but serious journalism is seriously expensive.”
I don’t have a purist position regarding coverage of celebrities, scandals and trivialities. I believe that there is room for newspapers such as Folha for this type of news, as long as it is a story that is worth reporting. I did not see this in the photos of Chico.
INTERVIEW
“I also like impudence”
It was a Wednesday for complaints about the press.
In Uruguay, according to a story Folha ran on Thursday, President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva “looked annoyed” when he was asked about his statements regarding corruption in the administration of his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso. “One day I will ask the press what it thinks about the repercussions of the topic,” he said. For “Estado de So Paulo,” the president’s responds was “irritated.” To “O Globo,” he was ironic.
The same Thursday, newspapers published the reaction by Culture Minister Gilberto Gil (also a popular singer/songwriter) to stories that included a list of complaints about the budget cuts for this year. In Folha, the headline on Wednesday was: “Gil, Rossetto and Dutra complain about tourniquet”; on Thursday, “Gil says press is manipulative, but criticizes budget cuts again.”
I interviewed the minister on Thursday. He speaks about the press and makes a brief comment about publication of the photo of Chico Buarque de Holanda.
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Ombudsman — You complained this week that newspapers manipulated an interview with you. What happened?
Gilberto Gil — The journalist asked me questions about budget cuts: “Are you complaining?” I said: “No, I am not complaining.” And a story came out with a headline saying that I am complaining. I was not complaining. I was saying how the cuts would affect my ministry and how every budget process has problems.
Ombudsman — But didn’t your observations afterward contain disagreement with the cuts?
Gilberto Gil — That’s fine, but use my statement. If I say that this is not a complaint, you be the judge about whether it makes sense to have a headline say that I am complaining. The first phrase that I said to reporters was: “I am not complaining about anything.” Are there complaints about the budget? There are. Various ministers are in this situation, but I am not one of them. I am being realistic by pointing out the problems caused by the cuts.
Ombudsman — What do you see the press’ role as being?
Gilberto Gil — It’s hard to say. The press, like any other segment in the world of information, is submitted to various logics. The logic of politics, the market, interests, ideologies. As much as it wants absolute distance, it is understandable that what it wants is not possible to have. Newspapers have owners, newsrooms have people, citizens, there are political and cultural subjectivities.
Ombudsman — Is it good?
Gilberto Gil — It is good. In general. It is certainly not worse than the press as a whole worldwide.
Ombudsman — Recently you let Folha photograph you while getting some body hair removed. Some readers criticized the newspaper for putting that on the front page…
Gilberto Gil — And some criticized me too.
Ombudsman — How do you analyze the situation?
Gilberto Gil — This was from my own free will. It was my right to allow it or not. If I allowed myself to be photographed, it was the right of the photographer to publish. That’s the point. Like (fellow singer/songwriter) Caetano (Veloso), I also like a bit of impudence. I can be a minister, but I am also a citizen, I am also from the world of subjectivity. I form my own identity. Having my hair removed during the Carnival festivities also had a context. It was at the festival.
Ombudsman — Some newspapers published a photograph of Chico Buarque at Leblon beach kissing a friend.
Gilberto Gil — I believe that was voyeurism and intrusive. Even though it was gentle. But it is different from me, in that I was solicited by a journalist to be photographed at an intimate time and I allowed it. You allow intimacy or you don’t. It is your own option. In Chico’s case, it was not. That is another story.
Translation by John Wright
