Approximately 500 members of unions, social movements, and journalism groups gathered at the São Paulo Journalists’ Union offices to demonstrate “In defense of democracy and against media coup-ism,” G1 reports.
In the wake of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s statements accusing the press of acting like a political party, unions, several worker groups, government partisans, social movement activists, and progressive bloggers are planning an “action against media coup-ism” this Thursday, Sept. 23, at the headquarters of the São Paulo Journalists’’ Union, O Globo reports.
The Electoral Court in Mato Grosso state issued an injunction against the state’s largest media company, Gazeta, preventing it from publishing stories that say acting Federal Deputy and current Senate candidate Carlos Abicalil (PT) supports decriminalizing abortion, A Gazeta and Folha de S. Paulo report. The ruling would fine the paper A Gazeta and the TV station Canal 10 more than $58,000 if they fail to comply.
Just days before the Venezuelan parliamentary elections, representatives from the opposition Democratic Unity Coalition filed a complaint with the National Electoral Board (CNE) alleging that President Hugo Chavez was abusing the media by using them to campaign for candidates supportive of Chavez's party, reported El Universal.
Brazil’s 2010 elections has been marked by the use of the internet as a means of broadening information access and bringing citizens into the electoral process, Global Voices’ Manuella Ribeiro writes. In this world of “Politics 2.0,” the candidates are using social media to campaign and participate in debates, while transparency and citizen participation projects are proliferating on the internet.
Janaina Ribeiro, reporter for Gazetweb, was attacked and robbed the afternoon of Wednesday, Sept. 8, during a rally in Maceió in support of the candidate for governor of Alagoas in northeast Brazil, Teotonio Vilela Filho.
The National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) and the Journalists Union of Amapá released a statement condemning the Sept. 3 attack on TV Marco Zero, affiliate of the Record network in Macapá, according to Amapá Digital.
The Brazilian Federal Supreme Court ruled that radio and television stations now are free to broadcast political satire and jokes about election candidates. They also can issue opinions for or against candidates in news and editorial programs, as long as they don't serve as propaganda, reported O Estado de S. Paulo.
Ayres Britto, of Brazil's Federal Supreme Court, granted an injunction the evening of Thursday, Aug. 26, against enforcement of a law that censors humor during election campaigns in Brazil. Britto responded partially to a complaint of unconstitutionality, filed by the Brazilian Association of Radio and TV Stations (ABERT), questioning restrictions of the electoral code (Law 9.504/97).
A journalist sentenced to prison, accused of slanderous propaganda and offending the honor of Osmar Calenge, a 2004 candidate for the City Council of Lagoa Santa, in Minas Gerais, entered a request for habeas corpus before the Federal Supreme Court, asking for the sentence to be dismissed, according to the court.
The Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Stations (ABERT), has decided to go to the Federal Supreme Court over two sections of the Election Law: paragraphs forbidding jokes about politicians and the prevention of broadcasters from disseminating opinions about party candidates during campaigns.
Brazil's first online presidential debate, provided by Folha de S. Paulo and the website UOL and still available online, attracted more than 1.7 million views during its first day up on the Internet, reported M&M Online. The debate took place Wednesday, Aug. 18.