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Waiting for João on the Wrong Street

05/07/2018 - 13h11

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PAULA CESARINO COSTA

Few stories are as venerated among journalists as "Frank Sinatra has a cold", from American writer Gay Talese. Published in April 1966 in Esquire magazine, the text tells the story of a reporter trying to interview the greatest North American singer, stricken by the flu. And in this manner it traces the master profile of the singer.

João Gilberto could be considered as the Brazilian Frank Sinatra - and practically all journalists would like to be Gay Talese. So then, "Frank has a cold" serves as inspiration for another failed interview (not) involving João Gilberto in any way. In April, it was *Folha*'s turn to fall into this tangled mix-up.

The idea of speaking about João Gilberto based on conversations with neighbors and area businesses wasn't the most creative. In 2008 the Estado de S. Paulo newspaper had already followed the same script. In 2011, the IG site had done so once again.

João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Oliveira - who turns 87 this June - is possibly the most important Brazilian artist - whether measuring his talent by his influence among peers, by his international recognition, or for his highly acclaimed work. Born in Juazeiro (State of Bahia) in 1931, he has lived in Rio for nearly 40 years.

On April the 9th, under the title "João's lurking", columnist Alvaro Costa e Silva wrote a chronical report in Folha, after spending the day in the vicinity surrounding a building on General Urquiza Street in the Leblon neighborhood where, according to the article, the singer was living.

The pretext for the story was a possible forced entrance into his apartment. Bebel, his daughter, was filing a claim for interdiction and the Courts had authorized the forced entry through the door so he could be notified.

The article actually received praise on social networks, until an experienced journalist posted that everyone in Rio knew that João Gilberto didn't live on General Urquiza street at all, but on Carlos Góis, just a few blocks away. One witty soul summed up the mess, quoting a Samuel Beckett text about a character who never arrives: "Folha was waiting for Godot on the wrong street".

João Gilberto has never actually had his own apartment according to friends. He has lived at a few different addresses in Leblon. Some swear that one of them was on General Urquiza street, but the most constant and recent one was on Carlos Góis.

I called attention to the mistake regarding the signer's address in an internal critique, pointing out that the mix-up would render the whole article meaningless. I called for transparency.

The Folha took 21 days to explain itself. And then it did so in an oblique and embarrassed way. On the 30th of April, the newspaper published a correction with a title on the frontpage of the Illustrated section announcing: "Exiled in Gávea. Debts and lawsuits lead Bossa Nova idol to leave Leblon and to live depending on others elsewhere".

The text for We Were Wrong said: "Different than what was reported in the article "João's Lurking", João Gilberto's current address isn't located on General Urquiza street but in Gávea, Rio de Janeiro. Read more on Page C1 of this edition". Imprecise, it didn't make clear that General Urzuiza street was in Leblon, ignored the newspaper's useless vigil and presumed that the reader knew that Gávea was another, completely different Rio de Janeiro neighborhood.

On page 98 the newspaper's Text Editing Manual says: "Folha promptly rectifies mistakes found without euphemisms () Errors of exceptional gravity may be rectified on the cover or in internal reports as well".

A subsequent report provoked by the error should have been providing an example of research, contextualization, verification and writing.

In addition to not even citing the report from the 9th of April which it was in response to, it did little to clarify the musician's change of address, nor provide details about the apartment on General Urquiza street, and even worse, make clear that the primary information, the singer's new residence, was conditional, none of which matched the title.

Worst of all was that this information about the supposed current residence's address had already been published by Lauro Jardim, from O Globo (The Globe) on the 17th of April, 13 days before the *Folha*'s second report.

Matheus Magenta, the editor of the Culture section, admits that mistakes were made: "There were a series of procedural mistakes in this case, aggravated by a lack of trustworthy information. For example, family members contradicted each other regarding how and where he is living. Neighbors, employees and friends did little to clear up these doubts. The primary source has been a recluse for years. Due to all this, the Illustrated section should have been much more careful with the investigation, didactics and rechecking of the facts, disregarding pressure due to a scoop by the competition".

The case didn't energize readers much. Perhaps many consider it an exaggeration to occupy this space by dealing with where João Gilberto lives. It doesn't deal, however, only with this.

It is an example of how difficult it is for the newspaper to admit a mistake, to correct it immediately and in a clear fashion, without damaging the greatest asset that it has, its credibility. Journalists don't handle failure very well.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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