Dear reader,
April 7 marks a very special day for us, as we celebrate Journalists' Day. If you follow our work at The Brazilian Report, you’ll know that reporting on Brazil and Latin America means dealing with a huge volume of (often gruesome) news, coupled with the risks of living in a country that fares quite poorly in press freedom rankings, takes a huge toll on journalists' mental and even physical wellbeing.
With misinformation piling up on social media and an increasing number of people putting the value of professional journalism at stake, being a journalist is more challenging than ever. Still, we keep going, doing our jobs to the best of our ability every day.
Today, we decided to take a moment to reflect on why we do it – to remember what makes us wake up every morning and report, and, of course, to cherish our beloved team.
Next time you read one of The Brazilian Report's articles, newsletters or listen to an episode of our podcast, we hope you remember what motivates our work – and know that you, dear reader, are one of those factors.
Best regards,
The Brazilian Report
A day to mark those who defend press freedom
Though Unesco established global freedom of the press day on May 3rd, Brazil decided to celebrate its journalists on April 7, 2022. More than a reflection of Brazilians doing things their own way, the date is actually very significant for the local press – and a key reminder of its difficult relationship with power.
April 7th actually marks the day Emperor Dom Pedro I abdicated in favor of his five-year-old son, Dom Pedro II, following months of controversy that began with the death of doctor and journalist Giovanni Battista Líbero Badaró.
The Italian journalist arrived in Brazil in 1826, at the age of 28. He became involved in politics and later founded the liberal newspaper "Observatório Constitucional" (Constitutional Observatory). He became notorious for criticizing authorities' abuse of power, especially the Emperor's authoritarianism.
In November 1830, Mr. Líbero Badaró was ambushed near his home – on what is today Libero Badaró street in downtown São Paulo – and shot by his political enemies. After spending 24 hours in agony, his last words were, "a liberal dies, but not freedom itself." Dom Pedro I's public image was seriously tarnished after the episode, and some liberal outlets even connected him to the assassination.
One hundred years after he gave up the Brazilian crown, in 1931, the Brazilian Association of Press (ABI) established the date as Journalists' Day, as a late homage to Mr. Líbero Badaró.
What makes us journalists?
Almost two hundred years separate the creation of The Brazilian Report with Mr. Libero Badaró's Observatório Constitucional. But it seems his words were proved right: there will always be independent media fighting for the right to inform people about what's happening in the country and how it will impact their lives.
But the media is made up of people with their own dreams and desires. Asking around our newsroom, we found out the seed of journalism can sprout in many ways: from finding out the degree you initially chose at university didn’t speak to your heart, to following in the footsteps of a family member, to simply being amazed by geopolitical facts bigger than yourself.
But while our reporters and editors started their journeys in journalism from different points, it led us all down the same path: using our voices to tell stories that matter.
Staying on this course, however, is not so easy. Brazil's media landscape is still ruled by almighty family-owned conglomerates, and censorship attempts are a permanent threat. Moreover, journalism now faces the challenge of a widespread campaign of misinformation via social media which has hit an unprecedented scale. During the Covid-19 crisis, not only were journalists attacked for doing their jobs, but also suffered from increasingly precarious work conditions.
And yet, we continue down this path every day. Why? Well, we’ll let our team answer that question.
I continue to work as a journalist because…
Journalists are not born. They are made.
Unlike what many might think, becoming a journalist involves a lot of work. In Brazil, it takes four years of studying communication theories, ethics, learning to deal with several kinds of media, and more to earn a degree in journalism. And that's without mentioning the daily work, which teaches us something new every day.
With time, this means every reporter will develop their own style based on his or her experiences. It is an individual journey, but definitely not a lonely one. We learn from our sources, our colleagues, our idols, our professors, and, indeed, from each other, as our editor-in-chief Gustavo Ribeiro noted.
Today we take a moment to celebrate some of our mentors and inspirations as journalists, namely:
José Carlos Fernandes, who was Amanda Audi's mentor at Gazeta do Povo newspaper and whose ability to humanize any topic inspires her to this day.
João Paulo Charleaux, whose impeccable writing and deep knowledge inspire Lucas Berti.
Gay Talese, the writer who showed Gui Mendes that the simplest stories can be the best.
Eliane Brum's way of mixing journalism and literature makes Ana Ferraz's eyes glow.
Jorge Asís, whose literary approach to politics keeps the story colorful while not losing the necessary hard-boiled realism. Ignacio Portes is definitely a fan!
