Brazil loses more than 2 news outlets in 10 years, study shows.

Flávia Albuquerque - Reporter for Agência Brasil

A survey by the Mais pelo Jornalismo (MPJ) project reveals that 2.352 journalistic media outlets have disappeared from Brazil since 2014. During that period, 10.795 outlets, including newspapers, radio, TV, and online portals, were created, while 13.147 ceased operations.

The study is based on media registration data from the I'Max press mailing platform, which funds the project and conceived the MPJ. Specific data from print media and radio stations in cities with up to 100 inhabitants were also analyzed. Of the 2,4 radio stations analyzed, 1.248 did not have a news portal (52%). Among the 1 print media outlets, 214 did not have their own website (21%).

“The balance over the decade is negative, and we're not talking about small media outlets. These are century-old media outlets that represented very populous cities and were simply discontinued because the digital transformation and the way people consume news impacted the journalism business,” explains Fernanda Lara, CEO of I'Max.

Fernanda also points out that the Covid-19 pandemic period was a significant factor in the negative balance, with 2021 and 2022 having more pronounced negative results. “From then on, we see a recovery. In the last two years, 2023 and 2024, Brazilian journalistic production gained momentum, but the accumulated numbers are still alarming. Despite this slight recovery, the deficit remains much higher than we had in 2020, when the accumulated total was 1.429,” she states.

According to Fernanda, new media outlets are emerging, mainly because many journalists are independent, the so-called news influencers, who are positioning themselves as experts on a particular subject and creating their own media outlets. However, the issue of funding for journalism remains a challenge.

“It’s not easy to establish serious advertising so that, even with this new lease on life, these media outlets remain active, communicating and informing society in the long term. So, faced with a scenario that still appears very negative, we, as a company in the sector that understands the importance of journalism, especially from a democratic perspective, decided to create this project called More for Journalism,” says the CEO of I'Max.

Transition

According to an analysis by journalist and researcher Claudia Nonato from the Center for Communication and Labor Research at ECA/USP, in recent decades Brazil has experienced a migration of journalists from traditionally held media outlets (newspapers, radio, and TV) to digital platforms. Initially, these professionals remained between the two, traditional and digital. At the same time, advertising budgets and support shifted to digital, causing smaller media outlets to fail.

“In this movement, the number of printed publications was reduced, while radio stations expanded (with the ease of the internet), digital media (blogs, websites and platforms) strengthened and became much more attractive to these professionals, who were even motivated to create new media,” said Claudia.

Even so, she points to a positive outcome, such as the creation of new formats, funding models, content distribution, positions, and functions within digital journalism. "There was also, according to the Atlas of News (an initiative that maps local journalism in the country), a 9,5% reduction in the number of municipalities considered news deserts in Brazil, in addition to the growth of community radio and local journalism in these regions," she stated.

On the other hand, the negative side, according to the expert, was the change in how the public consumes information and the consequent spread of misinformation, which has come to shape society and politics in recent years, bringing great challenges to journalism.

"Professionals also had to reinvent themselves: they migrated from analog to digital, taking on new roles beyond writing. Teams were reduced, the workplace ceased to exist, transitioned to remote work, and salaries fell."

She points out that in this context, large media outlets survive and new ones emerge, starting with the digital age. But the biggest challenge lies in financing these smaller outlets, which today survive on support from foundations, crowdfunding, or public grants.

"Large platforms, such as Meta and Google, among others, saw these initiatives as an investment opportunity, in exchange for the work, data, and information of these professionals. Given these difficulties, new initiatives that encourage the survival and financing of these media outlets will always be welcome."