27/04/2006

Folha celebrates 85th anniversary holding debates in São Paulo

Folha de S.Paulo

In celebration of its 85th anniversary, Folha de S.Paulo organized the Folha Forum of Journalism, which took place from May 10-11 2006 and included four debates with international media specialists. The forum followed the 26th yearly Conference of ONO (the Organization of News Ombudsmen), hold in São Paulo from May 7-10. The aim of the forum was to stimulate the discussion of problems related to journalism and the political and social aspects involved in it.

The first debate within the Folha Forum, "Journalistic transparency and quality", brought together Folha’s ombudsman, Marcelo Beraba, as the mediator, the president of ONO, Ian Mayes, as well as Germán Rey, former ombudsman of the Colombian newspaper "El Tiempo", and Edward Wasserman, professor of journalism ethics at Washington and Lee University.

The second debate was "Power and Journalism in Latin America", mediated by Folha columnist Eliane Cantanhêde and brought together the Peruvian writer Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Andres Oppenheimer, "Miami Herald" columnist, and Boris Muñoz, op-ed writer of the Venezuelan daily "El Nacional".

The round table on the subject of "Journalism and democracy" took place on May 11th, and was chaired by Renata Lo Prete, editor of Folha’s Painel section. The participants were Jaime Abello Banfi, director of the New Iberian-American Journalism Foundation, Jennifer Moyers, operations chief of "The Washington Post’s" online edition, and Julio Blanck, editor in chief of the Argentinian daily "Clarín".

The last debate was entitled "The limits of reporting" and brought together Maria Teresa Ronderos, of the Foundation for Freedom of the Press, Ricardo Uceda, executive director of the Peruvian Press and Society Institute, and Robert Fisk, reporter for the British "The Independent" newspaper. The debate was chaired by Folha reporter and columnist Fernando Rodrigues.

The forum was open to the public and free of charge. The debates took place at Fecomércio (Federação do Comércio do Estado de São Paulo), Rua Dr. Plínio Bar­reto, 285, in the center of São Paulo.