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O. Gallasso
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journalists, advertising
professionals, teachers and
students. The center’s goal is to
stimulatemore in-depth studies
and research on this important
matter. Contactsmay bemade
through
.
Freedom of
expression,
esprit de corps and
independence
STALIMIRVIEIRA
pagE 44
Laws that regulatemarket relations
are primarily formulated upon
rationale, intentions and
motivations of themarket itself.
Nowhere in the professional arena
– State, private institutions or
regulating bodies –we perceive
an absence of clear political
objectives, either of ideology,
partisan or commercial natures.
There are always interests to be
considered, and our freedom –
not independence – is to be
exertedwithin its limits. It is to be
expected, therefore, that
independent attitudes, although
playing its rôle, will be restrained.
Restrictionsmay take the form of
rejection by the formal system; the
rôle, the induction to reflections
which are fundamental to improve
the very system’s capacity of
evaluating its circumstances.
Thus, independencewill always
be the best contrast to the
understanding the degree of truth
contained in the concepts of
freedom.
Freedom of press –
fromutopia to tyranny
CLÓVISDEBARROSFILHO
pagE 58
Discussionsabout freedomof the
pressalmost always focuson its
denial.Since64, the interferenceof the
State in theproductionofmediahas
beenconsideredasarbitraryand
incompatiblewith the ruleof lawand
democracy.Theauthordiscusses the
controlofnewsproduction.Limitations
onanyactivityaretheresultofthe
balanceofpoliticalforces.Ifcivilization
accepts any typeofrestriction, itmust
gainsomethinginexchange.Hobbes
observedthatfreedommaybeabdicated
forsecurity.Honorisanexternal,social
valueandhassubjectiveimplications.
Thus,controlsmaybeaccepted, if the
worse is tobeavoided.Theusualcritical
discourseonmediahaving“super”
powersappeals tocommonsenseand
historicaloccurences forsupport.Not
surprisingly,itentices–fromtimetotime
–theideaofcontrols,generally
conceivedaslegalrestrictions.Brazil’s
constitutionestablishesonesolelimitto
freedomofinformation:therightto
privacy.Sometimes,thisisextendedto
encompass theprotectionofhonor. In
practice, theydonotseem tobeentirely
effective.
Thejournalisticarenaisaconflicting
spaceforprofessionalrelations,ifweare
todefinewhatislegitimate,whatis
sensational,whatcanandcannotbe
said,whatisethicalornot.Inthiscontext,
agentsseek thebest labels foreach
practice.Thenatureofwhatis
newsworthyistheconditiontoestablish
therulesthatmustprevail.“Good”and
effectivejournalismisrespectedasa
commitmentwiththereader,withinthe
boundariesofwhat isconsideredas
freedom for thepress
TheYesMen–
anotherwaytodiscuss
freedomofexpression
LEONARDOTREVISAN
pagE 74
Inthenameoffreedomofexpression,The
NewYorkTimesjournalistJudithMiller,
wascondemnedbyAmericanJustice,for
nothavingrevealedhersource.Infact,
freedomofexpressionisendangered
almosteverywhere:accordingtoThe
Economist,43%oftheworld’spopulation
(2.6billionpeople)liveincountrieswhere
thepressisnotfree;40%liveinsocieties
wherethepressisonlyrelativelyfree,anda
scant17%haveampleaccessto
information.Brazilisincludedinthe
secondgroup.AsrecentlyasinAugust,
2005,alawyertriedtocloseaweekly
magazineinvokingthe“nationalsecurity
law”,forhavingcriticizedthePresidentof
theRepublic.Ontheotherhand,inthe
nameoffreedomofexpression,absurd
illusionsanddownrightnonsensearefed
tothepublic.Asapracticaljoke,twoU.S.
professors fooled–duringmanyyears–
TVstations,universitiesandother
institutions,presentingthemselvesas
spokesmen for theWTOandpassingon
irrelevanciestothe“yesmen”-whoare
gullibleastowhatthemediasays... From
timetotime,also,ajournalistiscaughtin
theactoflying.Someanalystsrelatethefall
ofcirculationofnewspaperstotheir
declineincredibility.Thesituationmay
worsen,astheinternetbecomesachannel
tocheckthequalityofnews.Thebest
defenseoffreedomofexpressionmaybe,
infact,theabilitytoknowwhat–andhow
–to“read”properlyinordernottobe
misled.
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