the transition
How did Globo's editorial shift in relation to the protests occur? With protesters knocking on its door, what followed was a complete adherence of the Globo group to the demonstrations.
On June 17th, a Monday, when the demonstrations had already gained national momentum, in São Paulo the protests were concentrated in Largo do Batata and a march began along Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima. In Brasília, the demonstrators gathered in front of the National Congress and, in Rio de Janeiro, on Avenida Rio Branco, in the city center.
That night's television coverage focused on the three cities, with live images and updates being broadcast by news channels, with the exception of Globo News, which concentrated mainly on Rio de Janeiro and Brasília, although one of its news centers is located in the capital of São Paulo, where some of the Group's main national news programs are presented.
On Globo News, presenter Leilani Neubarth, in an alarming tone, reported the growing number of people gathering in downtown Rio de Janeiro as "impressive," and reporters gave updates on traffic jams and the traffic situation, since the main access roads in the center of the capital of Rio de Janeiro had been occupied.
Later, when protesters in Brasília were already occupying the roof of the National Congress, Leilani commented on the protesters' haircuts, whom she categorized as "punks" and "anarchists." Regarding São Paulo, however, there was no information about the crowd that was separating, heading towards Avenida Paulista and others towards Avenida Luiz Carlos Berrini, the address of the station's headquarters in the city.
The alarmist tone of the coverage continued, but not for long. Originating from the Estaiada Bridge and Berrini Avenue, the protesters occupied the entrance to the broadcaster's headquarters in São Paulo.
The crowd banging on his door confirmed suspicions that Globo was also one of the targets of the protests. Days earlier, a smaller group had demonstrated at the station's door in São Paulo, as well as in several other cities across the country, where reporters from the station were harassed when they tried to cover the protests. That same afternoon at Largo do Batata, Caco Barcelos was met with aggression by protesters who shouted slogans demanding that the reporter and his team leave.
In Brasília, the Military Police were unable to contain the protesters on the roof of the National Congress, and in Rio, the situation in front of the Legislative Assembly turned violent with an attempted invasion of the building. Meanwhile, at the broadcaster's headquarters in São Paulo, the atmosphere was also tense. Employees were besieged. No one could enter. No one could leave. Outside, protesters occupied all entrances to the building, shouting slogans and insults against the broadcaster.
Faced with the situation outside its headquarters in São Paulo, what followed was a visible change in Globo's attitude towards the protests.
On Globo News, the change in coverage was abrupt. Within minutes, presenter Leilani Neubarth's tone of voice changed. From a tense inflection, her voice became soft and calm. The same was repeated with the other reporters and commentators. The care in describing the motivations and the protesters was also evident. The mass of people in the streets began to be described only with complimentary terms.
But it was only when Jornal Nacional went on air, with a startled Patrícia Poeta, that the seriousness with which the network was treating the situation became clear. With a live report from the network's helicopter in São Paulo, it was mentioned for the first time that protesters were shouting slogans against Globo, followed by the reading of an editorial by Patrícia Poeta, where they defended themselves, saying that up to that point they had provided unbiased coverage of the protests.
With protesters knocking on its door, what followed was a complete adherence by the Globo group to the demonstrations, even though days before it had treated the protesters as "politically ignorant" and "lacking in causes," as mentioned in Arnaldo Jabor's commentary. From print media to talk shows, the chorus became unanimous. Globo joined the protesters demanding change, in what can only be described as a disingenuous attempt to make it seem as if they were not also the object of discontent.