Research Guides: International News: Brazil

Researcher

Sebastian Comabella

General Country Overview

Brazil declared its independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822. It became an empire under Dom Pedro I before transitioning to a republic in 1889. The capital city is Brasília, and the official language is Portuguese—the only country in South America where Portuguese is the dominant language. Brazil has a population of over 215 million, making it the most populous country in Latin America. The currency is the Brazilian real (BRL). Geographically, it spans much of South America and is known for its vast Amazon rainforest, vibrant cultural expressions like Carnival, and its powerful agricultural and industrial economies.

News Sources

Globo
Brazil's market dominating media source based out of Rio De Janeiro. It is owned by Grupo Globo and is their main newspaper outlet. Though they say they are more centrist on the political scale, they tend to be right leaning as there are reports of them favoring right winged agendas since their creation in Brazil.
Estadão
A widely recognized daily newspaper that covers national and international news, operating outside of São Paulo. It carries the nickname of “New York Times of Latin America” due to its editorial demeanour. It is the third largest newspaper published in São Paulo and carries centre right leaning views.
Folha de S. Paulo
The biggest paid newspaper in circulation in Brazil and is owned by Grupo Folha, which is then owned by the Frias family, making the network a private one. It is also coined by some to be the most influential newspaper in Brazil covering political elections and tensions. They are reported to be centre to left leaning on the political scale

Political Climate and Media Biases

Currently Brazil sits at number 82 on the RSF index as of 2024 which is an increase from 2023 as they were sitting at 92 overall, see there has been some growth. This can be marked by the President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as he has been working on repairing government and media relations since his time of office which started in 2023. The previous President Jair Bolsonaro held an iron fist towards the media and journalists, though this has been loosened as he is no longer in power, Brazil still faces challenges with its journalistic freedom.

Academic Sources

Encyclopedia Britannica
Used for the background of Brazil
RSF
This source was used for the Media political climate of Brazil
Media Ownership Monitor - O Globo
Source used for background on Globo Group
BBC News
Used to show who owns which media outlet
Encyclopedia Britannica - O Estãdo de S. Paulo
Used for the brief background on Estãdo.
Media Ownership Monitor - Folha de S. Paulo
Folha information