After the recent controversial firing of journalist Aguirre Peixoto, the newspaper A Tarde is embroiled in another controversy over one of its employees. Reporter Emanuella Sombra resigned, Monday, March 28, after disagreeing with edits that were made to her interview with the singer Ivete Sangalo, reported the news site Grande Bahia. According to the journalist, an important part of her article, where the singer spoke about a crisis in the company and a lawsuit involving an ex-employee, was edited out against her will.
Police in Rio de Janeiro have identified the car used in the nearly fatal shooting of a blogger, Ricardo Gama, reported the news site Terra. As such, it will be easier to identify the shooter, said prosecutor Bruno Gilabert.
In an article published on its website, the Brazilian magazine Caras said its was being censored for covering the death of the Brazilian actress and writer Cibele Dorsa. A court order forced the magazine to unpublish excerpts of the suicide note that the actress had sent to the magazine before her death.
In an interview from Wednesday, March 23, Brazil's former World-Cup soccer team manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari, became irritated with the press and threatened a journalist who revealed how much Scolari, current coach for the Palmeiras team, makes, reported Folha de São Paulo.
Blogger Ricardo Gama was shot three times the morning of Wednesday, March 23 in Copacabana in southern Rio de Janeiro, according to O Globo. The blogger was taken to the hospital where he was in serious condition, reported Estado de São Paulo.
The United States has Propublica, the U.K. has the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Chile has the Center for Investigative Journalism (Ciper). Brazil will soon join the ranks of countries with these independent centers, as Natália Viana, a journalist and collaborator with WikiLeaks, announced the creation of “Pública” (Public), the first investigative journalism agency in the country.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has appointed Brazilian journalist Elisabeth Costa as its new secretary general. Costa, whom the IFJ describes as a “veteran campaigner for union rights and press freedom in Latin America,” will be the first woman and non-European to hold the post.
Several studies launched by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in association with the Ford Foundation, discuss the regulation of Brazilian media, reported Agência Brasil. According to UNESCO, the objective is to contribute to the debate about the role of communications in the strengthening of democracy.
Brazilian authorities have proposed a National Plan for Community Radio Concessions, with the aim of expanding community radio stations and facilitating the licensing process, according to the Communications Ministry.
A cameraman for Brazil's TV Globo, William Santos, was tackled by three police officers in the streets of São Paulo on March 11. His video tape with material for SPTV news about police corruption disappeared after the scuffle, during which his camera was confiscated.
The International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth of the United Nations Development Program and Mercado Ético released a report “Investigative Journalism: Themes for a South-South Debate,” that considers the role investigative reporting can play in developing countries.
Alexandre Rolim, journalist for the news site Parecis.net, accused Mauro Berft, mayor of Campo Novo do Parecis, in the state of Mato Grosso, of having threatened and attacked him on March 11. According to the reporter, the mayor was upset by some articles Rolim had published.