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stripslashes(Congress on Investigative Reporting Unites 500 Journalists in Brazil)Congress on Investigative Reporting Unites 500 Journalists in Brazil
By PAULO REBĘLO
The 4th Congress of the Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism (Abraji), which took place July 9-11, and was co-sponsored by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, united approximately 500 practitioners, students, and professors of journalism in a series of workshops and seminars on improving the quality of investigative journalism in Brazil.
The event featured 62 presenters in 50 workshops at Anhembi-Morumbi University in the city of São Paulo. Topics ranged from the unconventional to the traditional, from drug trafficking and corruption to sports journalism and the coverage of regional politics in the Brazilian interior. Ideas pieces and investigative reports on economics, technology, and the environment were also widely discussed, adding even more pluralism and complexity to the practice of investigative journalism.
The president of Abraji, Angelina Nunes, noted the importance of the exchange of ideas and experiences between the participants, be they professionals, students, or aspiring professors.
Although political coverage is already a major part of the Brazilian journalism agenda, this year’s Abraji congress gained added importance due to the upcoming 2010 general elections, when citizens will vote for president, state governors, and senators.
Maria Cristina Fernandes, political editor of the newspaper Valor Econômico, noted the unique importance of media coverage in this election and the new investigations it could produce.
“Society is going to elect a successor to one of the most popular politicians in the history of Brazil and will likely have a woman be one of the strongest candidates for the presidency. It is also the first time, since the return to democracy, that Lula will not be a candidate,” she said.
Professor Rosental Calmon Alves, director of the Knight Center, stressed his great satisfaction at witnessing and participating in the growth and development of Abraji since its founding in 2002 as a common ideal among journalists, to a strong and growing organization that promotes quality journalism.
“The 4th International Congress in São Paulo demonstrates the maturity and efficiency of this group of journalists. And it is with much pride that those of us from the Knight Center have co-sponsored this initiative and continue to support it,” he explained.
Among the international presenters brought to São Paulo by Abraji were Mark Horvit, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE); Joe Bergantino, director of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University; Ana Arana, International Knight Fellow from Mexico City; Maria Teresa Ronderos, online editor of Colombia’s Semana news magazine; Gabriel Michi, president of the Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA); and Kirk Semple, a reporter for The New York Times.
As usual, journalism students throughout Brazil, principally from São Paulo state, attended the congress. Camila Rodrigues, a 22-year-old journalism student in her last year at São Paulo Methodist University, participated for the first time.
“I’ve already attended several separate courses, but never an entire congress. The presentations were incredibly interesting and it was fantastic to have the space to ask questions.”
Ticiane Toledo, a student from the interior of São Paulo state, praised the quality of the presentations and the topics discussed during the three-day-event.
“One of the most positive aspects was working to break the stigma that investigative journalism is only part of political and police journalism. I admit that I, personally, had difficulty connecting investigative journalism with sports, for example.”
At the end of the Congress, students voiced a curious complaint: the “excess” of quality. With so many competent professionals and interesting topics, it was difficult to see everything, especially in the case of simultaneous presentations in different rooms.
José Roberto de Toledo, an Abraji director who has helped organize the previous congresses, explained “This is a common model for events of this size; it is similar with IRE, for example. With a variety of good panels, more people are interested in attending. We believe that it is better to have more options than to only have a few panels chosen by the organizers.”
No other journalism event in Brazil offers so many opportunities to participate, Toledo said.
by PAULO REBĘLO
Added Oct 30, 16:10, 2009
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