01/02/2009

Easier said than done

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

The newspaper does not do what it recommends to the government and society; coverage of educational topics has been weak and demands little from authorities

Of the 40 columns that I have written for this space, the ones that deal with topics related to education generated the greatest number of positive reactions.

The most recent ones questioned how much this newspaper has done to stimulate the habit of reading by youths besides publishing two weekly supplements dedicated to children and another one for adolescents.

Dozens of readers wrote to comment about the topic. Some, like Luiz Carlos Gonçalves, of Divinópolis, and Maria Martha Botelho, of Riberão Preto, said that they use Folha as educational material in classrooms, with results they consider positive.

I learned that the National Newspaper Association (ANJ) coordinates the work of 64 Brazilian daily newspapers cooperating with schools. In 2008, about 67,000 teachers and 1.8 million students participated in it.

Folha is not one of those newspapers. I asked management why. I received the following response: "In previous years (between 1993 and 2005) the newspaper organized a project to stimulate newspaper reading at schools in São Paulo, Folha Education. The project was discontinued after determining that it needed many adjustments to modernize and increase its scope. At the time, the newspaper debated new ways to address the topic, and it should also observe the experience accumulated by the ANJ."

On April 22, 2007, this newspaper asserted in an editorial: "Failure of education demands a vigorous reaction by government, with adoption and pursuit of goals that can be achieved."

On the first day in 2009, another excellent editorial, dealing with spelling reform, made a vigorous defense of the "experience of systematic reading and (of) constant exposure to stories..."

Unfortunately, it did not do what it recommends to government and society. Coverage of educational topics in the newspaper has been weak, at least since April 2008, when I assumed this job.

They have not given it priority (as with health and science), covered little about public authorities responsible for it, and not invested in bold stories about education.

Worse: it has not done anything to motivate reading in schools, something indispensable to defend its own immediate material interests.
Wiretaps, spending and harassment

On Jan. 24, the newspaper got it right in using the adjective "supposed" referring to the celebrated wiretap of the head of the Supreme Court. But when the topic was the daily headline, it was not so cautious. It did not express any doubt about the "illegal wiretap."

In this episode, in which the newspaper embarked uncritically with information it did not obtain or prove independently, it should serve to establish callous determination: no exclusive information revealed by others can be considered true without being confirmed on its own.

*

On Thursday, the newspaper had a headline about the 873 million real (US $375 million) growth in social spending by the federal government. It emphasized that this occurred one day after 37 billion reals in budget cuts, which was not on Wednesday's front page.

If what involves bigger amounts was not relevant for the front page, why was 3% of that amount a headline? There are more important topics, such as restraints on imports and Obama's economic package.

*

My first reaction to an opinion piece by Roger Abdelmassih on page A3 on Wednesday was positive. I believed that it was a guarantee of his right to defense.

Letters by readers which criticized it made me change my opinion.

The space on the op-ed page is to discuss ideas, not to deal with common crimes. The opinion piece does not analyze the topic of sexual harassment, it only defended one person who is accused of committing it.

The newspaper had already given space to the matter in news reports. If it wanted more, it should have interviewed him.

To read

"A History of Reading," by Alberto Manguel, translated by Pedro Maia Soares, Companhia das Letras Publishing, 1997 (starting at 49.69 reals) - Extraordinary and sophisticated effort succeeds in telling the human adventure of reading over the long term and from many varied perspectives

To see

"The Postman," by Michael Radford, with Philippe Noiret, 1994 (starting at 19.90 reals) - Moving story about a poet who helps to nourish the love for reading and writing in a postman

To remember

When is soon?
On Nov. 23, the newspaper promised that "soon" it would offer a new electronic version of Folha, with faithful reproduction of its pages. After suffering a week from reading what currently exists, I hope more than ever that "soon" really is soon.

Topics most commented during the week

1. Abdelmassih case
2. Battisti case
3. Economic topics

Who are letters to the editor?

Letters from readers - 44
Letters from people in the news - 14
Centimeters from readers - 345
Centimeters from people in the news - 177
*From Jan. 24, 2009 to Jan. 30, 2009

What Folha did right...

Bolivia
Once again, thanks to the work of a special correspondent, the newspaper had good coverage of the important referendum on a new constitution in Bolivia

Colina do sol
On Wednesday, the right amount of space was given to nebulous accusations of pedophilia at the Colina do Sol nudist camp in Rio Grando do Sul state

Construction and floods
A story on Friday that told about floods in São Paulo with construction excesses followed the correct path of preventive journalism

...And where it did badly

Unemployment where?
On Tuesday, for the second time in a few weeks, the subhead on the front page gave the impression that the number of unemployed refers only to Brazil, while they were international

Public and private education
Treatment given to the problems of higher education is much more critical than that devoted to private schools; the newspaper should not be complacent toward anyone

U.N. funding
Another budget cut that hurts the national interest (funds to honor commitments to the United Nations) was only reported one month after it was done

Translation by John Wright