In the context of high levels of violence against journalists in Brazil, which already account for four murders this year, freedom of the press defenders came together around a project that seeks to curb impunity in these crimes. The Brazilian Press Association (ABI for its acronym in Portuguese) and the National Federation of Journalists (Fenaj for its acronym in Portuguese) launched "SOS Journalist", a platform for journalists to denounce aggressions and media abuses related to their professional practice, and to ask for and receive state protection.
The first online complaint was received last Monday (5/10). The journalist and blogger Claudete Andreotti, of Peruibe (SP), author of blog Boca de Rua, reported that she was the victim of an assassination attempt in November 2014. The ABI checked and forwarded the case to the National Secretariat of Public Security of the Ministry of Justice, which has pledged to adopt the necessary measures, according to the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji for its acronym in Portuguese).
The same procedure will be adopted for all reports of violence. "The main purpose of SOS Journalist is to ensure complete freedom of the press. In particular, it is also intended for those whose lives are at risk. Since the complaints - after being analyzed by the ABI, Fenaj, Abraji and Movimento Viva Santiago - will be passed on to the Ministry of Justice to take the necessary steps to curb the threats, prosecute the perpetrators and, if necessary, protect the professional at risk,” Fenaj said in a statement.
"The professional press should use this space responsibly, always with reliable information on threats and attacks against journalists in general, whether reporters, photojournalists, editors, publishers, broadcasters, videographers, bloggers working in newspapers, magazines, radio stations and TV, portals, websites, blogs and any other communication vehicles," the ABI said.
The ABI has sought to sign a cooperation agreement with the National Secretariat of Public Security of the Ministry of Justice to establish an official channel in government where these reports of violence may be sent. According to Fenaj, it is expected that the document will be signed by mid-November.
Along with Fenaj, the ABI also seeks to put in place the "Centre Against Violence to journalists." We negotiated for over two years with the Department of Human Rights and the Ministry of Justice, this "observatory" has been created by a government decree and aims to follow the actions of the State and Justice in combating crimes against journalists to avoid them remaining unpunished.”
Brazil ranks 11th in Committee to Protect Journalists’ (CPJ’s) list of countries with the most cases of homicides of journalists that go unpunished. The country was also at the top of the organization's ranking of the deadliest countries for journalists in 2015, ranked sixth with four murders. According to surveys conducted by Fenaj, another 89 professionals were threatened with their lives without any protection from the state.
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.
