Olívio: 'Democratizing the media is a condition for political reform'
The Senate candidate for Rio Grande do Sul, Olívio Dutra, stated that the democratization of the media should be one of the conditions for political reform in the country; "We cannot calmly accept that large monopolies persist in determining what information and how it will be passed on to the population, without any pre-established criteria or clear rules that limit their activities," said the parliamentarian.
Rio Grande do Sul 247 – Sitting calmly in the front row of the auditorium at the Attorney General's Office of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Olívio Dutra, candidate for the Senate in Rio Grande do Sul, stated that the democratization of the media should be one of the conditions for political reform in the country.
"We cannot calmly accept that large monopolies persist in determining what information is disseminated to the population and how it will be passed on, without any pre-established criteria or clear rules limiting their activities," said the parliamentarian, from the Popular Unity for Rio Grande coalition (PT – PTB – PcdoB – PPL – PR – PTC - PROS).
In a panel discussion moderated by the Attorney General of Rio Grande do Sul, Carlos Henrique Kaipper, the president of the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ), Celso Schroder, advocated for the creation of the National Communication Council and the Regulatory Framework for the Press. According to Schroder, communication is essentially a public good and should be treated as such. "When we talk about communication, we should talk about everyone, not just a few," he added.
Regarding social media, the leader stated that "they don't guarantee democracy because they don't produce journalism." According to Schroder, while journalists, who are accredited agents, have their diplomas under judicial review, a crisis of sensationalism and manipulation is occurring online, overshadowing the facts.
Judge Túlio Martins, who attended the event, questioned the public concessions for radio and television stations, particularly regarding the sale of these vehicles. "In principle, they shouldn't be sold, but they function as a marketplace for deals," he stated.
Another judge, Juremir Machado, stated that a clash of criteria is necessary for true equanimity to prevail. "We have moved from objectivity to a state of total subjectivism," he added. Machado cited as an example the trial of Criminal Action 470, known as the mensalão scandal, always associated by the press exclusively with the PT (Workers' Party) while preserving the privacy of other parties.