“A Profile of the Brazilian Journalist”

“The Authoritarian Temptation: The PT’s attempts to monitor and control the press, television and culture.” Translation: “Dilma could decide those zero-down spectrum concessions we got were the fruit of crooked dealings! Get rid of her, I don’t care how!” The Editora Abril donates generously to journalism training institutes.

The Brazilian journalist does not feel free to write. More than just having to follow the editorial line of the publications they work for, the complaints principally have to do with coercion by political or business groups.

The Revista Imprensa Online, or “online press review” (Brazil) reports on a recent survey sponsored by the British-Brazilian Cultural Center of São Paulo and an Editora Abril-sponsored journalism training course on the state of the journalism profession in contemporary Brazil.

On the state of journalism at the Editora Abril’s flagship publication, Veja magazine, see

• “Violence is a Natural Part of the Political Process”: Diogo Mainardi and the Hog Heaven of the Hard Men
• Veja: The Senator Had Sex! But Is He Screwed?
• Veja Só: Editorial Integrity at Brazil’s Grupo Abril
• Veja: “Crudest Lead in History of Brazilian Journalism.”
• Abril Dissident: Cooking Up Libel at Veja Magazine
• NMM(-TV)SNBCNNBS: Veja X Martins on Globo’s Roda Viva
• “Violent Protest Marks Arrival of Bush”: Veja x The Uninterviewed Eyewitness
• ‘Racists Control Veja Magazine’

On the state of the journalism profession in the Blair-era post-imperial dream of empire, see

• “BBC shows another side to the world”
• What is Innovation Journalism?
• “The Good News About South Africa”
• BBC 2.0: False Dilemma as a Way of Second Life

Quite a lot of money is invested in academic programs teaching the principles of Journalism 2.0 these days — Stanford’s institute on innovation journalism, just to start with, and the University of Navarra’s Masters [sic] em Jornalismo program in Brazil.

Many appear to be closely associated with extreme-right political ideologies of the kind that produced the “parallel inquest” into the 11-M attacks in Spain — “ETA did it!” — and the Telemadrid scandal — “ETA did it!”.

See also Aznar on the Phantom Menace:

Aiming to “influence” decision makers from Mexico to Brazil, the former president of Spain, José María Aznar, identified those he considers “enemies of the West,” among them indigenous peoples’ movements, terrorists and anti-globalization activists.

Their business plan is to groom young, unseasoned journalist-flacks as editorial managers for rapid promotion into key positions. That is why you see so many “innovation journalists” and “content managers” with marketing degrees and a sudden transition from PR jobs to editorial management.

Case in point: Wolfowitz-Cheney Flack: Failure to Commun’cate. Kellems calls himself “a former journalist,” but his resume reflects a career almost entirely dedicated to political marketing.

In banana republics, journalism and political marketing are the same thing.

If it reminds you of the U.S. Dept. of Justice under Alberto Gonzalez — Monica Goodling graduated from a law school owned by an extremist “Christian” broadcaster — well, that is not necessarily a coincidence.

The result often goes something like this:

• Brazil: Editor Fired Over Frías Anti-Hagiography
• Rede Globo Ratfinks Dissident Journos
• Multiple Personalities Vie for Voice

They are extremely well funded by the likes of Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, IBM, Intel, Reuters, and others, as well by U.S. taxpayers, most notably through “democracy promotion” programs funded by State.

Their motto: “You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth!”

I translate, with running commentary, pra inglês ver.

Jornalistas são pessoas bem vestidas, que têm salários altos e estão sempre à frente das câmeras ou do computador. Se você é jornalista e não se enquadra neste perfil, saiba que é isso o que a população em geral pensa de você.

Journalists are well-dressed, earn high salaries and are always in front of the cameras or at their computer. If you are a journalist who does not fit this profile, you should know that this is what the general population thinks of you.

Estas são algumas das conclusões e percepções sobre o jornalista brasileiro, contidas na Revista Plug, publicação experimental dos alunos do Curso Abril de Jornalismo 2007, lançada nesta segunda-feira (11), às 19h, no Centro Brasileiro Britânico de São Paulo. A publicação traz dados sobre o mercado de jornalismo no Brasil e mostra quem é o jornalista brasileiro, seus hábitos, percepções, motivações, influências e aspirações.

Those were some of the conclusions and perceptions about the Brazilian journalist contained in Plug magazine, an experimental publication put out by students in the Abril Course in Journalism 2007, launched on June 11 at 7 pm at the British-Brazilian Center of São Paulo. The publication reports data on the job market for journalism in Brazil and shows who the Brazilian journalist is, what his habits, perceptions, motivations, influences and aspirations are.

De acordo com Edward Pimenta, editor do curso Abril, a equipe dos jovens jornalistas que realizaram a pesquisa foi assessorada pelo instituto Voltage. Além da consulta em dados do Ministério do Trabalho, da Federação Nacional de Jornalistas (Fenaj) e do Sindicato de Jornalistas do Estado de São Paulo (SJSP), os jornalistas ainda realizaram pesquisa com a população e profissionais da área.

According to Edward Pimenta, director of the Abril course, the team of young journalists who conducted the survey were advised by the Voltage Institute. Besides consulting data from the Ministry of Labor, the National Federation of Journalists and the Journalists Union of São Paulo, the journalists did their own polling of the general population and professionals in the area.

Entre as técnicas empregadas para a coleta de dados estiveram a “Invasão de Cenário”, na qual os participantes do curso passaram 24h com quatro jornalistas para entender seu dia-a-dia, o “Focus Group”, no qual vários jornalistas ou pessoas próximas a eles foram colocadas em uma sala e, estimuladas por um mediador, responderam perguntas e falaram sobre a vida do profissional de comunicação, além das “Perguntas de rua”, na qual, por meio de um questionário guia, populares respondiam questões como “Quando a palavra é jornalista, que nome te vem à mente?” e “Descreva como você acha que o jornalista é”

Among the techniques employed for collecting data were the “Invasion of the Scene,” in which course participants spent 24 hours with four journalists in order to understand their daily routine, and “Focus Group,” in which various journalists or persons close to them were placed in a room and, prompted by a mediator, responded to questions and spoke about the life of a communications professional, and well as “Street Interview,” in which, using a model questionnaire, “man on the street” subjects answered questions such as “when you think of journalists, what name comes to mind?” and “describe what you think a journalist is like.”

Most qualified, certified journalists I know in São Paulo are unemployed, working na informalidade — as my wife was when I met her — or in a position similar to the employees of the Editora Três — who went seven months without receiving salary.

O resultado traz dados já esperados, como o crescimento da participação das mulheres no meio e a insatisfação dos jornalistas quanto aos baixos salários. No entanto, outros aspectos geraram surpresa, como número de jornalistas que deixou a boemia para se dedicar aos esportes e o apego à eletrônicos como i-pods e MP3. “A pesquisa mostrou que os novos objetos de desejo dos jornalistas são os eletrônicos que, a julgar pelo salário médio da classe, ele compram a prestações”, explica Pimenta.

The results brought the expected results, such as the growing participation of women in the profession and the dissatisfaction of journalists with low salaries. However, other aspects were surprising, with a number of journalists who abandoned bohemia for sports or an enthusiasm for electronics such as iPods and MP3. “The survey showed that the new objects of desire of journalists are personal electronics, which, judging from the middling salaries they earn, they buy on the installment plan,” Pimenta explains.

Outro dado trazido pela Revista Plug é o número de profissionais formados que realmente atuam na área: apenas 12,5% deles. Ainda falando em números, dos 35 mil jornalistas, incluindo assessores, apenas 11 mil possuem carteira assinada, e são unânimes as reclamações sobre a quantidade excessiva de trabalho e os baixos salários.

Another datum reportd by plug is the number of professionals with journalism degrees who actually work in the field: Only 12.5% . In hard numbers, of the 35,000 registered journalists, including public relations professionals, only 11,000 are formally employed, and complaints about workload and low salaries are universal.

In Brazil, hacks are flacks.

Brazil has 185 million inhabitants. It has 11,000 formally employed journalists. An unspecified number of those are public relations professionals. The U.S. has about 300 million citizens. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (the quickest of googles):

News analysts, reporters, and correspondents held about 64,000 jobs in 2004. About 61 percent worked for newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers. Another 25 percent worked in radio and television broadcasting. About 7 percent of news analysts, reporters, and correspondents were self-employed.

Flacks are counted separately. The belong to a different category.

Google News Brasil lists about 200 news sources. Google News Gringolândia lists 4,000+

Calculate relative infodensity and concentration of the two labor markets for journalists.

Porém, apesar do panorama não muito otimista, Pimenta ressalta que os profissionais que estão no mercado são apaixonados pela profissão, o que pode servir de estímulo para os jovens jornalistas. “A pesquisa constatou que, apesar de toda dificuldade, há uma paixão pela profissão e todos foram unânimes em dizer que são jornalistas porque querem”, acrescenta.

But even though the outlook is not very optimistic, Pimenta says that professionals in the job market are passionate about their work, which should provide young journalists with an example. “The survey showed that, despite all the difficulties, there is a passion for the profession, and all were unanimous in saying they are journalists becasue they like it,” he added.

As always, the hard numbers versus the appeal to emotion.

You can’t, of course, as my granddaddy always said, eat passion.

Um grande mérito da revista, segundo Pimenta, é o seu enfoque qualitativo e não somente focado em estatísticas e dados. “A pesquisa foi feita em 20 dias e isso não prejudicou o andamento dos trabalhos, pelo contrário, os próprios alunos afirmaram que ela foi importante para o curso”, diz.

One of the great merits of the magazine, Pimenta says, is qualitative focus, that it does not focus just on statistics and data. “The survey was done in 20 days and this did not hurt the work, on the contrary, the students themselves said it was important for the course,” he said.

The passions matter as much as the hard numbers.

If the students said so, then why not interview them for this story, saying it?

Why are we hearing from this guy? He’s not a student.

Editora Abril does not tend to hand the microphone to anyone who might disagree with management.

See also “Violent Protest Marks Arrival of Bush”: Veja x The Uninterviewed Eyewitness.

As Roberto Marinho, founder of Globo, famously said, “We journalists must not be afraid to speak on behalf of public opinion.”

Without necessarily letting the public talk into the microphone.

Dados

Data

Além da visão do jornalista sempre bem vestido e com altos salários, a pesquisa traz dados, no mínimo, interessantes, como:

Besides the vision of well-dressed, high-paid journalists, the survey produced data that are, at the very least, interesting, such as:

- O perfil das redações está cada vez mais feminino. Em 1995, elas ocupavam 41% das vagas. Dez anos depois, elas totalizam 51%. Dos jornalistas regularizados, elas são 54%. Mas ocupam poucos cargos de chefia e ganham, em média, R$ 500 a menos do que os homens de mesma função;

Newsrooms are more and more feminine. In 1995, women occupied 41% of the posts. Ten years later, they occupy 51%. Of journalists who are formally employed, they are 54%. But they occupy few management positions and earn, on average, R$500 less than men in the same position;

Per month, I gather? That is some 1.4 minimum salaries. Out of a median salary of what?

- Apesar dos baixos salários e da incerteza de emprego, a maioria disse não querer exercer nenhuma outra profissão. Os motivos são diversos, como conhecer lugares inusitados e gente diferente e o dia-a-dia agitado e nada repetitivo;

Despite low salaries and the uncertainty of finding employment,most said they do not want to work in any other field. The reasons given vary, such as seeing places and people they have never been before and a routine that is active and not at all monotonous;

- As grandes reportagens são o sonho dos jovens jornalistas, apesar do espaço reservado a elas ter minguado na imprensa;

Young journalists dream of breaking major stories, though the space reserved for these in the press has shrunk;

- Gay Talese foi o jornalista mais citado como modelo. Também tiveram muitas citações Truman Capote, John Hersey e Bob Woodward. Entre os brasileiros, os mais lembrados foram Joel Silveira, Caco Barcelos, José Hamilton Ribeiro e Willian Waack.;

Gay Talese was the journalist most cited as a model, along with Truman Capote, John Hersey and Bob Woodward. Among Brazilians, the most cited were Joel Silveira, Caco Barcelos, José Hamilton Ribeiro and Willian Waack;

- O estereótipo de boêmio não se encaixa mais ao jornalista moderno. Segundo os entrevistados, bebe-se e fuma-se pouco. Quem ainda não se movimenta parece ter a intenção de começar a fazer caminhadas, natação ou ginástica;

The bohemian stereotype no longer fits the modern journalists. According to those interviewed, they smoke and drink very little. Those who do not do so already say they mean to start to walk, swim or go to the gym.

Hey, I say that a lot, too. But do I?

- O jornalista brasileiro se percebe menos utópico e mais prático. Foi dito nas ruas que o jornalismo está em cima do muro e perdeu o engajamento. Para os profissionais, o que morreu foi o jornalismo panfletário e partidário;

The Brazilian journalist is seen as less utopian and more practical. It was said in the man on the street interviews that journalism sits on the fence and has lost its social engagement. According to the professionals, it is pampleteering, partisan journalism that has gone the way of the dinosaur;

- O jornalista brasileiro não se sente livre para escrever. Mais do que obedecer a linha editorial dos veículos, as queixas se referem principalmente à coerção da imprensa por grupos políticos ou empresariais;

The Brazilian journalist does not feel free to write. More than having to follow the editorial line of the publications they work for, the complaints principally have to do with coercion by political or business groups.

Curso Abril

The Abril Course in Journalism

Este ano, o curso Abril recebeu 2327 inscrições, mas apenas 51 foram selecionados para participar das palestras e atividades, que ocorrerram entre os dias 29 de janeiro e 28 de fevereiro deste ano. Segundo Pimenta, após o término do curso, cerca de 60 % dos participantes continuam ligado à empresa, como trainees, contratados ou free-lancers.

This year, the Abril course received 2,327 applications but only 51 were admitted to the lectures and activities, which took place from January 29 to February 28 of this year. According to Pimenta, after the course was over, 60% of the participants continue to have a relationship with Abril, as trainees, employees, or freelancers.

Na ocasião do lançamento da revista, também será realizado o debate “O Jornalista Brasileiro”, com participações de Laurentino Gomes (diretor-superintendente da Abril), Otávio Frias Filho (diretor de redação da Folha de São Paulo), Dora Kramer (articulista do O Estado de São Paulo) e Glória Maria (repórter e apresentadora da Rede Globo). A mesa será conduzida por Thomaz Souto Côrrea, VP da Editora Abril.

Together with the launch of Plug, a debate was held on “The Brazilian Journalist,” with Laurentino Gomes (managing director of Abril), Octavio Frias, Jr. (editor in chief of the Folha de S. Paulo), Dora Kramer (political [gossipmonger] of the Estado de s. Paulo, and Glória Maria (reporter and [gabbling teleprompter puppet] of the Globo network). The moderator was Editora Abril VP Thomaz Souto Corrêa.

Mino Carta likes to say that Frias and Roberto Civita, CEO of the Grupo Abril, are the most, er, intellectually deficient Brazilians alive.

A who’s who of the reactionary Brazilian news media — the principal brokers of “coercion by political or business groups.“

Souto is a former Abril VP now working as a director of the Innovation International Media Consulting group.

Director and Consultant of INNOVATION. Journalist. Former Executive Vice President of Editora Abril publishing house. President of the Ethics Committee of the Brazilian Association of Magazine Publishers (ANER). Member of the Board of Directors of the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP), of which he is a former President.

The ethics of associated Brazilian magazine publishers being what they are.

See also What is Innovation Journalism?

On the journalistic ethics of the Editora Abril, see The Martyrdom of Mainardi: The Mountain and the Molehill.

Examples can readily be multiplied.

Aznar denied that Al-Qaeda was responsible for the Madrid metro attacks, personally fed the media with the ETA theory in the days before the election, and suppressed evidence to the contrary, including the wiping of files from government computers pertaining to crisis management during the incident. He lost the election.