By Maira Magro
The Rio de Janeiro-based newspaper Extra carried a front-page image of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as the King of Hearts to make fun of his recent remarks against the media.
The top of the card reads “Lula is Cute. That is the headline for those who think the role of the press is to flatter those in power and, as such, should only publish positive news about the government. Allegations of fraud are an abuse, a form of conspiracy.”
Flipping the cover over and the meaning changes. The sarcastic headline is “Really Cute, Lula," with the text bellowing reading: "This is the headline for those who think it is the responsibility of the press to oversee the acts of any government, exposing its deviations and reminding those in power that they aren’t above good and evil."
In the weeks leading up to the Oct. 3 elections, the Brazilian press has published a series of reports denouncing influence peddling and irregularities in the office of the presidential Chief of Staff. Critics see the reports as partisan because they may harm the candidacy of Dilma Rousseff, the presidential candidate supported by Lula.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
