07/09/2008

Wiretaps, Leaks & Co. Ltd.

CARLOS EDUARDO LINS DA SILVA
ombudsman@uol.com.br

Readers have a right to know the objective of someone who leaks; knowing the motivation of a source is essential for readers to judge the information they receive

Leaks of information can be extremely useful for journalism and for the public.

One of the finest moments in the history of journalism, the Watergate case, that ended with the resignation of U.S. President Richard Nixon, would not have occurred without leaks.

But, like everything, when they are used in an exaggerated way and without discernment, they provoke ill will, toward the profession as well as society.

Brazilian journalism has suffered from an excess of condescendence with wiretaps and leaks, used with little or no critical sense and without elementary caution that must be observed in situations which put at risk the reputations of people, companies or entities and even the institutional stability of the country.

Last week, once again, a wiretap provoked headlines that promised sensational revelations, but tended to dissipate without clarifications about what was revealed, and even lapsed into forgetting.

There is something profoundly wrong with these successive cycles, which distract and fatigue public opinion, diverting energy from fundamental debates about public policies and stirring up the rancorous rivalry between sympathizers of current antagonistic politicians.

In this case of the wiretap in the Supreme Court, Folha, once again, limited itself to gathering, transcribing and noting repercussions of information and statements. It was clear that it could not ignore the news.

But it should choose one of the following alternatives: maintain critical distance to give the necessary dimension to the event, invest heavily to determine what happened independent of what leakers or authorities said, or clarify for readers what interests are at stake. Or, better yet, do all these three things at the same time.

The recording could have been done by the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (Abin), by someone at Abin on his own, by the Federal Police, by someone at the Federal Police on his own initiative, by the Senate, or by individuals. Why not make every effort to find out about all of the alternatives instead of limiting itself to reproducing what people say?

In the Watergate case, the "Washington Post" adopted and rigidly followed two basic commandments: never publish anything that had been revealed by another news organization, unless it had been verified and confirmed autonomously by its own reporters; any information passed by a source who wanted to remain anonymous had to be corroborated by at least one other independent source (preferably by two or three).

These requirements should always be strictly obeyed. So should another, recommended for 21 years by the Twentieth Century Fund, a non-government organization which is dedicated to studying the phenomenon of leaks: always identify the interests or the political group with which the leaker is identified.

Readers have the right to know the objective of the leaker, even if his name is protected. Knowing the motivation of the source is an essential element for readers to judge the information they receive.

In the current case: why did the leaker from Abin decide to act? To whom is he tied politically? Who is potentially benefitted or hurt by the leak?

These are fundamental questions to understand the problem. Without answers to them, everything could end up being a bunch of smoke and nothing substantive, as in various other similar situations in the past.

From cartoons to soccer

On Aug. 12, Folha published at the top of page B6 that São Paulo Gov. José Serra asserted that the federal government's data about investments in the Program to Accelerate Growth (PAC) in the state of São Paulo were "cartoons."

In my critique to the newsroom, I wrote: "The newspaper has the obligation to try to determine in an independent way if the governor is correct in his complaint and give emphasis in the newspaper to the result of its research."

None of this was done; not even the data and information that the federal government gave to the newspaper about the topic were published. The newspaper erred. Readers were informed only about the accusation by the governor and did not have access to the federal government's side.

*

Last Friday, Folha published a story in which it revealed having forecast the result of the tender by the subway system and asserted that the company did not want to comment.

In fact, the Metro system did not comment on the story cited. But it spoke a long time to Folha on Thursday about the tender itself. Folha Online on Friday afternoon published the Metro's explanations. On Saturday, the print edition mentioned the Metro's explanation in one paragraph. The newspaper erred in not using it Friday and giving more space to what the company had told it the day before.

*

Thirteen cyclists sent messages of protest about a story published on Wednesday in which the reporter recounted disorder encountered while testing the viability of a project to rent bicycles in eight Metro stations. The readers told that their experiences pedaling around the city were not so difficult as those of the reporter.

The newspaper owes the public the other side of this matter.

One hundred forty-eight fans of the Santos soccer team complained that the new series on surveys of São Paulo residents did not include their team among the favorites.

Datafolha said that the question about the preferred soccer club was open. However, no team was excluded. The newsroom published only the top three listed. In the western zone, the subject of the most recent edition, they were: Corinthians (27%), São Paulo (25%) and Palmeiras (17%). Santos had 5%.

To read

"Katharine Graham - A Personal Story," by Katharine Graham. Translated by Ana Luiza Dantas Borges. DBA, 1998 (starting at 21.32 reals, or U.S. $13.30) - excellent autobiography by the publisher of "the Washington Post" with great chapters dedicated to the Watergate and Pentagon Papers cases.

"All The President's Men," by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, Francisco Alves, 1976 (starting at 21 reals, at sites which sell used books) - Historic story by the reporters who investigated the Watergate case

To see

"All The President's Men," directed by Alan J. Pakula, with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman, 1976 (starting at 29.90 reals) - Classic film about the story of the journalists who investigated the Watergate case

What the newspaper did right

Tortured youth

The newspaper gave emphasis and impartiality in reporting the episode in which three youths were freed after spending years jailed for a crime to which they said they confessed after torture

President's cigarette

With a sense of opportunity and intelligence, a reporter on Thursday noted the president's sincere opinion about laws which prohibit smoking

Candidate registration

The initiative to put the registration forms of candidates at the disposition of readers on Folha Online helps the electorate decide

...And where it was wrong

Ban on smoking

Coverage about the projected law to prohibit smoking in all closed public places in São Paulo was unbalanced in favor of the proposal

Phrases by Lula

Highlighting the comforting and unorthodox phrases by President Luis Inácio Lula da Silva in a ceremony marking new offshore oil deposits was exaggerated and inappropriate: the president's habit of expressing himself in an extraordinary way is well known by all

McCain's vice-presidential choice

On Thursday, the newspaper reported a negative impact from remarks by Sarah Palin, then on Friday recovered itself and showed that they were pleasing to the target audience (conservative Americans)

Topics most commented during the week

1. Santos soccer team fans on in-depth survey about São Paulo
2. Story about bicyclists in São Paulo
3. Case about wiretaps in the Supreme Court

-Translation by John Wright