07/12/2008

The dilemmas of a fifty-something

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

Former editors of the arts and entertainment section reflect on how it should deal with readers, culture, the market, technology and remain important in society

The arts and entertainment section turns 50 this Wednesday. I asked the former editors what the section needs to play a relevant role in the cultural debate of this country. Here is a summary of the responses.

For those over 30
The arts and entertainment section has aged. It continues to speak very well to those who were young and in it had their means of expression. It continues to guarantee an audience with people over 30. It has a hard time winning over younger readers, who are less willing to support the printed newspaper and more tied to interactive media.
(Caio Túlio Costa, 1981 to 1982)

Reader participants
It must be stylish, assertive, bold and meet expectations, but know how to surprise and cause discomfort, providing service with investigative stories and be a fertile field for new ideas. But all of this is not enough. It will need to go beyond the limits of the printed section and its own web address. The new reader has a calling to participate.
(Marion Strecker, 1987 to 1989)

Criticism of the market
The difficulty is to find common denominators in a confederation of ghettos. The solution is to become increasingly critical of the market, escaping the traps of illusions, superficiality and ingenuousness, the plagues of cultural journalism. The heart of the matter is that this approach is expensive.
(Mario Cesar Carvalho, 1989 to 1991)

Pleasure of disruptions
Increase the repertory of stories; recreate it as a network of information; submit public cultural policies and marketing of the entertainment industry to journalistic investigation; improve and reinvigorate the intellectual value of criticism and controversy; restore enthusiasm for debate, enthusiasm for provocation, and joy in disruption and discoveries.
(Alcino Leite Neto, 1993 to 1994)

Localizing the debate
The arts and entertainment section is the offspring of the period in which the cultural debate was more collective and found in few places, where all the people involved apparently circulated. This has changed radically, made us doubt that we even have common ground and language to debate. Maybe the main duty should be to put together disparate points.
(Bia Abramo, 1994 to 1995)

Making use of original ideas
The number of comments about cultural coverage tends to grow exponentially. "Universal" coverage would be virtually impossible. Still, the tendency is to embrace an extensive lineup. The difference would be the ability to make use of the most original ideas, those able to form, by themselves, their own trends. For this reason, betting on it on is really unusual.
(Zeca Camargo, 1995)

Multiple opinions
If there is one thing I miss, it is a multiplicity of opinions. Most of the time, there is nothing from the artist, but rather the critic, columnist, and writers of opinion pieces, without even having a clash of ideas. The words of creators should be used.
(Luiz Caversan, 1995)

Three-legged stool
Analysis, interpretation and criticism. The arts and entertainment section of the future should be based on this three-legged stool. The heart of it should be exclusive stories. And one thing should have been done yesterday: eliminate charts and guides. They eat up increasingly expensive paper and are better listed in the online Folha Guide.
(Sérgio Dávila, 1996 to 2000)

Eternal Youth
As newspaper readers tend to get old without younger ones replacing them at the same rate, I believe the longing for eternal youth (valuing the new by the new, without risking their consistency) could have become an anachronism. To satisfy and keep a faithful, but more mature, readership, greater effort will be necessary to deepen information and opinion.
(Cássio Starling Carlos, 2004 to 2005)

Strength of identify
I don't believe that the main challenge for the arts and entertainment section is to have a relevant role in the cultural debate, which seems to be a nostalgic discussion. The challenge is to present quality journalism for 21st Century readers, whose attention is attracted by an infinite number of other sources. The arts and entertainment section should take advantage of its strong, credible identity and produce distinct content for diverse platforms.
(Marcos Augusto Gonçalves, 1986 to 1987 and current editor since 2006)

To correct an injustice

This columnist made a mistake, resulting in an injustice last week, by saying that Brazil has no news organization (besides Folha) with its own polling organization.

In Santos (São Paulo's seaport), the 100-year old "A Tribuna" newspaper in 2005 created Ipat (Tribune Polling Institute), which has carried out nearly 100 surveys. In 2008, its electoral surveys were more than 80% accurate.

Besides the electoral work, it did important projects, such as a profile of retirees in the area and a profile of religions in Santos, as well as another one about the city's port, which was transformed into a book ("The Great Port," by Alcindo Gonçalves and Luiz Antonio de Paulo Nunes, Realejo Publishing).

To read

"Post-Everything, 50 Years of Culture in the A&E Section," by Marcos Augusto Gonçalves, Publifolha, 2008 (starting at 50.92 reals, or US $20.25) - a history of the section, in a dynamic, diversified, interesting and well-edited volume

"Lost Illusions," by Honoré de Balzac, translated by Leila de Aguiar Costa, 2007, Liberty Station Publishing (starting at 54.06 reals) - crushing description of how cultural journalism functioned in Paris in the 19th Century

To see

"All About Eve," by Joseph Mankiewicz, with Bette Davis and George Sanders, 1950 (starting at 19.90 reals) - magnificent film, which brings the best screen character as a theater critic in the history of cinema, Addison De Witt, played by Sanders, who won an Oscar for the role

Most commented topics of the week

1. Floods in Santa Catarina state
2. Pensions
3. Satyagraha case

What Folha did right...

Terror in India
The presence of a special correspondent in Mumbai made all the difference in the newspaper's favor in coverage of the attacks in the city

Photos in Serafina
Always the high point in the magazine, last week it reached a level of exceptional quality with self portraits of photographers

... and where it was wrong

Tax reform
Many more opinion pieces and space given to opinions against than in favor of the project marked mistaken coverage that was biased on the topic

Lula's rhetoric
Exaggerated attention given to the president's rhetorical improprieties did not convey the importance of the event and showed bias

Pro-memory

Questions that need answers
1. How is the investigation into responsibility for the depravity at the Amadeu Amaral School?
2. What happened to the accusations against the president of the São Paulo City Council?
3. Will there be a special effort to enforce the crackdown on drunk driving during the holiday season?

-Translation by John Wright