Franklin Martins
The Sambodian news media is vulnerable to questions about its commitment to impartiality and other commonly accepted standards of journalistic quality.
And how!
The blatant pro-opposition bias of the major media groups has at times even been articulated in public statements by hapless defenders of these practices.
I recall a senior Folha de S. Paulo editor saying, on the record, in effect, “Because the Brazilian political opposition is such an inept shambles, the media has an obligation to assume its role in order to guarantee the democratic order.”
I swear to God, she said that.
And she was not the only one.
As a result, media-bashing played a major role in this year’s national and regional election campaigns, and a lot of talent and well-focused energy went into this effort.
And you have to admit that the tactic is pretty damn effective, too.
I often find myself sympathizing with the ruling party and its allies — against my best intentions — simply because they are the target of this rolling thunder of gabbling disinformation, 24-7-365.
I don’t set out to take sides or run down the opposition, which fields some admirable public figures and policy proposals, but the “with friends like these, who needs enemies?” effect is almost irresistible.
Before joining the government as a cabinet-level press secretary — with control over a huge discretionary budget for government advertising, proving once again that we are no longer in Kansas — Martins was a veteran Globo political analyst who was ratf*#!%!d out of a job for ideological unreliability.
I call them like I see them, excuse me.
Globo ratf*#!%!d the exact wrong guy. (more…)
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