Journalists under threat during electoral campaign
Presidential candidates must condemn violence.
ABRAJI LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST VIOLENCE: In the same month as World Freedom of Press Day is celebrated, The Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism (Abraji) has launched its campaign “If the news is violence against journalists, we have a problem”. The campaign is the creation of Ogilvy and has the dual objective of drawing attention to cases of violence and aggression against journalists at work and promoting the Tim Lopes Programme. This Programme, launched by Abraji in 2017 and funded by the Open Society Foundations, was conceived to monitor investigations into the deaths of journalists and to carry on the reporting that they were working on when they were killed. For further information on the Programme://www.abraji.org.br/projetos/tim-lopes/. For other information: www.abraji.org.br cristinazahar@abraji.org.br
A number of Brazilian and international non-governmental organisations said today that candidates for President of the Republic should resoundingly condemn threats and acts of violence against journalists who are covering the electoral campaign. A number of reporters have been persecuted, threatened and, in some cases, physically attacked.
The organisations are: Artigo 19, the Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism (Abraji), the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ), Conectas Human Rights, Human Rights Watch and Reporters without Borders (RSF).
Patrícia Campos Mello, special reporter on the Folha de São Paulo, said that she received a flood of online threats, two menacing phone calls and had her What’s App account hacked after she discovered and reported what appeared to be a campaign by business people in favour of the presidential candidate, Jair Bolsonaro, to send fake news via What’s App to millions of Brazilians.
After the report, Mauro Paulino, Executive Director at Datafolha (linked to the Folha de São Paulo)¸ also received threats on a message app and at his home, according to the newspaper. In addition, the newspaper informed that Bolsonaro supporters carried out a ‘systematic’ attack on one of its What’s App numbers, which received 220,000 messages in four days. This made it impossible for reporters to monitor messages sent by their readers, Folha staff said.
On 23 October, the newspaper asked the Superior Electoral Court to request a Federal Police inquiry to look into what it considers to be “indications of an orchestrated action and an attempt to curtail the freedom of the press”.
“The threats are unacceptable. They must be investigated and all those involved must be held accountable in order to protect responsible, investigative, independent journalism.” said Juana Kweitel, Executive Director at Conectas Human Rights.
“The threats against Patrícia Campos Mello and other journalists represent an alarming escalation in rhetoric against the press in this contentious electoral cycle in Brazil.” Said Natalie Southwick, Coordinator of the CPJ Programme for Central and South America. “Journalists covering the presidential election in Brazil must be able to work freely and safely while reporting on issues of public interest. We ask that all candidates from all political parties respect the freedom of the press, abstain from making inflammatory statements against the media and urge supporters of their parties to stop harassing and threatening journalists.”
Abraji has documented 141 cases of threats and violence against journalists covering the elections. Most of these are attributed to supporters of Bolsonaro’s party, while the remainder are attributed to supporters of the Workers’ Party (PT).
Attacks against women journalists often include gender violence, including online sexual assault and threats of sexual violence, according to Artigo 19.
“With the aim of demonstrating commitment to the preservation of democracy, both candidates should condemn any threats or attacks against journalists in the course of their work and should abstain from any discourse that incites violence.” Said Daniel Bramatti, Abraji President.
In March, unidentified aggressors shot at a bus carrying 28 reporters who were covering a Workers’ Party event. Nobody was hurt. There are also reports of Workers’ Party supporters harassing and threatening reporters.
“It is unacceptable for people to be threatened or attacked because of their work or political opinion. This has a disconcerting effect on the whole of society. We need the greatest freedom of expression in order to foster our democratic institutions.” Said Laura Tresca, current Executive Director at Artigo 19 for South America.
“Attacks by supporters of presidential candidates against the press are unacceptable and unworthy of any political party that is striving to govern the country.” Said Emmanuel Colombié, Regional Director for Latin America at RSF. “The discourse of hatred and campaigns of false information are exacerbating tensions in an already divided society. RSF supports all Brazilian journalists, whose work during this turbulent period is essential.”
Harassment and threats against journalists are happening in the context of deep division and increased political violence against the LGBT community, women, black people and those who express different political views than their aggressors. In 8 October, a man killed Romualdo Rosário da Costa in a bar in Salvador, apparently after the man got annoyed when Costa revealed that he had voted for Fernando Haddad, the Workers’ Party presidential candidate. Bolsonaro himself was the victim of an attack during a campaign event in September.
“Anyone can disagree with a media report and must have the right to do so publically. Threatening journalists and inciting others to do the same, not only puts journalists’ personal safety at risk, but also harms freedom of expression and democracy.” Said Maria Laura Canineu, Director at Human Rights Watch in Brazil. “Presidential candidates must defend journalists’ right to keep the public informed and the public’s right to be informed.”
