Press freedom must be a guarantee of society, the organizations say

Representatives of entities linked to Brazilian journalism argue that freedom of the press should be a guarantee of society as a human right. National Press Freedom Day, celebrated this Wednesday (7), was established to commemorate the 1977 manifesto calling for an end to censorship promoted by the then military dictatorship.

For the president of the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji), Katia Brembattiand the vice president of the Brazilian Press Association (ABI), queen pepper, the absence of pressure, censorship or disqualification of any kind is a result that goes beyond the interests of information professionals and makes the difference for a more just society. The two representatives of the Brazilian entities were heard by Agência Brasil.

“It is very important for people to know that freedom of the press is not just an issue that benefits the work of journalists. It is a fundamental and human right”explains Professor Katia Brembetti, president of Abraji.

He adds that when people are well informed, they can access information they would not have in a scenario where there is no freedom. “Not only journalists should defend freedom of the press, but all people. Our country has gone through some moments without freedom of the press. It is no coincidence that every attempted coup or restriction of rights begins with an attempt to control information”says Katia Brembatti.

Regina Pimenta, from the ABI, points out that a country that has freedom of the press is one that respects human rights and its citizens. “This democratic environment and respect for individual freedoms and human rights are linked to the historic struggle for freedom.” He considers the free exercise of journalism essential to preserve and bring knowledge to people about everything that is happening, so that society can fight for its rights.

combat challenges

On May 3, International Press Freedom Day, the non-governmental organization (NGO) Reporters Without Borders announced that Brazil moved up 18 places in the classification. It was in 110th place and reached 92nd.

The evaluation of the entities is that the result has been connected with the output of Jair Bolsonaro (PL) of the government and that the new federal executive has brought signals that it intends to combat violence against information professionals. An example of these actions would be the creation of the observatory on violence against communicators.

“We were in a situation of falling rankings and now there has been even a subtle improvement. We hope to reach the level of developed countries where the press is viewed with due respect”, says the president of Abraji. But the entities draw attention to the fact that it is still a distant horizon, since physical attacks have not yet ceased in large cities or in the countryside.

An example of this is the violence reported by the journalist Delis Ortiz (TV Globo), during the Summit of South American Presidents, in Brasilia, and violations that took place away from the spotlights of big cities.

Data from the Observatory on Violations of Press Freedom in the Amazon, collected after the deaths of environmentalists Bruno and Dom by the NGO Reporters Without Borders, indicate that there were at least 62 cases of violations between July 2022 and May 2023.

In addition to physical violence, the entities point to another type of frequent “censorship”. “There is judicial harassment with the aim of intimidating professionals of the press”, says the president of Abraji. This occurs, for example, with processes and resources to pull reports out of the air or even prevent materials from being produced.