Paulo Bernardo does not give in to newspaper lobbying.

Despite requests from the National Association of Newspapers (ANJ) for regulation of foreign participation in the capital of news websites, the Minister of Communications, Paulo Bernardo, stated today that he has no solution for the issue, since the new regulatory framework for electronic media, currently being drafted by the government, is not expected to address the matter. "I don't see a solution in the current structure, and the ANJ doesn't have a solution either; otherwise, they would have brought it," said Bernardo after a meeting with representatives of the organization.

Article 222 of the Federal Constitution limits foreign capital participation in media companies to 30%, but makes no reference to the internet. The ANJ (National Association of Newspapers) argues that online portals operating as journalistic companies have a higher level of foreign participation than that described in the law. "No one is proposing to change the legislation; the issue is defining whether or not the websites can be classified under Article 222," they stated.

According to the minister, however, it would not be possible to impose limits on the internet. "It's not just a matter of saying 'you can't,' because then the company could move to Argentina and continue publishing content in Portuguese," Bernardo argued. Although the issue could still be included in the discussion of the new regulatory framework, the text being prepared by the government makes no reference to the internet. "I will talk to my colleague from the Ministry of Justice (José Eduardo Cardozo) and consult the Attorney General's Office," said the minister, who added that the new regulatory framework should be put out for public consultation in the second half of the year.