Democratization of Brazil's media debated at Latinidades Festival

The democratization of Brazilian media, regulatory milestones related to Afro-Brazilian communities, and the involvement of black people in mainstream media were some of the topics brought under discussion Tuesday (Jul. 26) at the Latinidades Festival, in Brasília, slated to end on Sunday (31).

At the event's opening round table, Luciana Barreto, a reporter from EBC's TV Brasil, highlighted the instrumental role of black voices in Brazilian journalism and their impact on the youth. She also talked about the importance of journalistic coverage in deconstructing stereotypes of black identity.

She advocated the occupation of media spaces by minorities, so that the issues concerning those groups are not removed from the news or erroneously portrayed. “We have to fight in order to fill those spaces, because it's a form of resistance.”

Another subject addressed at the festival was affirmative action policies directed at people of African descent, like dedicated university seats for new students. In the view of journalist Juliana Cézar Nunes, Executive Secretary of EBC's Board of Trustees, the black movement has helped optimize the use of social networking sites as a means to bring the black community together and empower its members.

“I think the big leap was when we managed to negotiate the fields of culture and communication. The ones making money from black culture were the white people,” she said, adding that the major current challenges are funding for media outlets, regulatory measures in telecommunications, and the access to interactive digital television, which should be brought in operation in Brazil in 2018.

Organized by the Afrolatinas Institute, the Latinidades Festival this year is supported by the UN and sponsored by the government of the Federal District.

Translated by Fabrício

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