The site Midiamax, a digital newspaper in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, said in a message sent to the Brazilian Press Association (ABI in Portuguese) that it is being censored by the state government. According to Midiamax, access to its site is blocked on public computers connected to the system of the Superintendency of Information Management.
Carlos Gaguim, the former governor of Tocantins state, and two federal representatives have brought a case to the Supreme Electoral Court against current the current governor and vice-governor, Siqueira Campos and João Oliveira, respectively. Gaguim, who was defeated in the October elections, has charged the current administration with vote-buying and media, political, and economic abuse, Terra reports.
In a small-scale mirror of a controversial firing, then rehiring in Mexico, the Brazilian newspaper A Tarde says it will rehire Aguirre Peixoto and annul the suspension it leveled against him, Portal Imprensa reports.
Episodes of press censorship in Latin America are at the highest levels since many countries began to return to democracy 30 years ago, writes Carlos Lauría, senior program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Lauría’s analysis of censorship in the continent was part of the CPJ’s annual report titled Attacks on the Press 2010.
Journalist Aguirre Peixoto, who was fired from his job in Bahia state after alleged pressure from the real estate industry, could be rehired by A Tarde newspaper, Bahia Notícias reports. However, the reporter may not be open to joining the paper again.
Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized the "opinion makers" for trying to create differences between his government and that of his successor, President Dilma Rousseff, reported Estado de S. Paulo. Lula made the remarks at an event commemorating 31 years of the Workers Party (PT) on Feb. 10.
Journalists from A Tarde, one of the most important newspapers in the northeastern state of Bahia, went on strike to protest the firing of reporter Aguirre Peixoto, UOL Notícias reports.
Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas founder Rosental Calmon Alves will be recognized for his academic and journalistic contributions at the Brazilian Investigative Journalism Association's (ABRAJI) sixth annual International Investigative Journalism Congress in July.
Folha de S. Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo, and O Globo announced plans to start charging for their iPad apps, Macworld Brasil reports.
Two Brazilian journalists who were arrested in Egypt last week were deported back to Brazil over the weekend, Agência Estado reports. Rádio Nacional’s Corban Costa and TV Brasil's Gilvan Rocha traveled to Egypt to cover the political crisis, but Agência Brasil reports that they didn’t manage to produce any stories due to harassment by the authorities.
Members of the Brazilian media who traveled to Egypt to cover the protests for and against President Hosni Mubarak have suffered various types of harassment at the hands of the police, including hotel room raids, equipment confiscation, and deportation.
Journalist Maritânia Forlin has been formally indicted for her alleged role in trading police information for exclusives with drug traffickers, Terra reports. She was one of 25 individuals in Paraná state indicted for various crimes, including misrepresentation and criminal conspiracy, Gazeta do Povo explains.