15/04/2007

Story versus headline

By MÁRIO MAGALHÃES
ombudsman@uol.com.br

The hardest thing for the newspaper and the journalist is the mistake. The magnanimity is showing respect for readers by recognizing it

The headline on Folha last Sunday contained serious information: "Entity alerted Lula about failures in air control" (referring to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva). The subhead was "Review of Cindacta-1 was done in October; no comment from Air Force about report."

Besides the main headline on the front page, there was another one about the topic in the daily news section: "Report already pointed to insecure air control."

The subhead: "Document by international federation of controllers, done after accident on Boeing's Gol airplane, was sent to Lula."

The formulations were mistaken. That is what I maintained in my daily critique on Monday - distributed at the start of the afternoon in the newsroom - and those critiques are released at the same time on Folha Online (www.folha.com.br/ombudsman).

The excellent story revealed that last year a report by Ifatca (International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations) said "the system of Brazilian air traffic control is a failure and has a low level of security."

Contrary to what the headline asserted, nevertheless, the report was sent to a civil aviation entity and one of the pilots. Not Lula. For the president, Ifatca proposed a consultation.

On Tuesday, the newspaper recognized in a correction the improper headline in the daily news section: "The report prepared by Ifatca was not sent to President Lula. What the entity sent to the president was a letter to offer advice and consultation."

The same day, I observed in my ombudsman's critique that the "correction" was right, but it failed to correct the front page. The text of Lula's letter, judging by the passage published, did not contain the conclusions in the report. Afterward, the presidential palace was not "alerted."

Friday night, the newspaper was preparing to publish in yesterday's edition a "correction" of Sunday's headline as well as a story in the daily news section explaining the mistake.

The correction was delayed and did not get the same space as the news, which is a shame. But it was good that Folha corrected it. The hardest thing for the newspaper and the journalist is the mistake. The magnanimity is showing respect for readers by recognizing it

Dramatic rescue saves baby in invasion of building; Folha missed it
Sara Silva, a 39-year-old street person, was carrying her youngest child, 10-month-old João Vítor, to the occupation of a building in São Paulo early Monday.

When the tear gas fired by police penetrated the building, the baby fainted in his mother's arms. She saw that he looked dark. She thought he was dead. Through a window, a man secured himself with his hand. With the other, he grabbed João Vítor and extended his hand. Below, two men grabbed and saved the baby.

The summary was based on accounts by reporters Álvaro Magalhães of "O Estado de São Paulo" and Gio Mendes of "Diário de São Paulo."

In Tuesday's editions, Folha did not tell about the drama involving the baby, while it published an image by photographer Thiago Bernardes (of "Diário"). The tension of the confrontation between police and nearly 400 occupiers of the São Vito building did not appear in the cold, distant coverage.

The newspaper did a poor job producing the story, which in jargon is called reconstructing history. That involves not observing the events but seeking accounts to reconstitute them.

Why did Folha not check out details until the morning about what happened only hours before? The managing editor said that the early morning shift is staffed by two journalists from the Folha News Agency and Folha Online. They advise their bosses and photographers in case of "big stories."

This week, the practice was not successful. There is, however, good news: a photographer is being hired for the early morning shift. The work on this shift is often little valued, but it has a notable importance.

Movie schedule missing on Sunday

Those who sought the listings of "Weekly Movies" in the arts and entertainment section on March 18 did not find them. In their place, at the foot of the page, a note told: "Read the summary of the weekly movies at Folha Online" (www.folha.com.br/ilustrada/filmes). It had been that way every Sunday.

Readers complained about the lack of service that allows them to plan which movies to watch on TV. The selection was accompanied by synopses and reviews. A reader from Aparecida, São Paulo state, sent an email pointing out the "lack of consideration."

The deputy editor of the arts and entertainment section, Naief Haddad, responded in March: "We stopped publishing the section... to dedicate more space to stories about TV in which we also tell about movies." He added that the daily listing of movies will continue to come out.

I believe that the newspaper was mistaken. There are those who buy Folha only on the weekend and don't have time for the Internet. The printed movie schedule is useful. Readers lose.
In review, "true mother"is not the one who raises and loves, but the biological

The animated movie "Meet the Robinsons" is playing. In the story, the boy, Lewis, who travels through time, hopes to be adopted.

On April 4, the arts and entertainment section published the review by Pedro Butcher about the movie. Here is a passage: "Up until a few years ago, it was not possible that Lewis, the orphan hero, would end the movie without finding his real mother and forgiving her."

A reader who did not want to be identified, to protect his family, sent a message to the ombudsman condemning the expression "real mother." To him, the formulation expresses a judgment that does not exist in the term "biological mother."

The reader told that, to hurt a child, some will say: "Your mother (or father) is not your real mother!"

I sought Butcher, who responded: "I agree with the reader. It was a lapse. It assumes that the adoptive mother is not the real one. It was an unfortunate expression. I apologize."

I think the same as the reader and admire the critic's recognition of the mistake. There is no doubt: a mother is one who raises and gives love. It can be biological or not.

Translation by John Wright