Brazil is second only to Nigeria in the size of its black population, which is part of the reason we’ve been following the bill introduced into the Brazilian parliament regarding journalists in that country. (That, plus we are raving Brazil-o-philes.) The bill, just vetoed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva last week, would have created a governing body that would give official recognition to some of Brazil’s journalists but not others, according to Reporters Without Borders.
The bill would also have applied to illustrators, graphic artists, photographers, and Web designers. So, yes, that hits a little closer to home. Those with journalism degrees would continue practicing, while all others would be officially barred from doing so via a government regulatory body.
Brazilian journalists themselves have been split, with some favoring the protection and prestige that comes with official recognition and others fearing that this would lead the way to state-controlled media.
Although true state-controlled media may be a bit of a Chicken Little scenario at this point, this writer, for one, is glad to see that for now all manner of journalists and visual creatives are still allowed to practice their trade, whether “official” or not. The bill now goes back to the parliament for reconsideration.
