Brazilian press
The history of the press in Brazil begins in 1808 with the arrival of the Portuguese royal family in Colonial Brazil, when all forms of press activity were prohibited – including the publication of newspapers, books, or pamphlets. This was a peculiarity of Portuguese America, as press was present in other European colonies on the continent since the 16th century.
With the arrival of the royal family, the Royal Press was founded, where the first Brazilian newspaper, the Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro, was printed. Even with the press already established in the country, it did not develop rapidly and was primarily limited to government establishments and newspapers. Brazilian newspapers were few in number, and many did not publish regularly. Most newspapers and magazines in circulation were foreign.
Even later, during the Empire, public libraries were rare, except in major cities such as Rio, where the National Library stood out. The country had few bookstores, and books were printed in Europe, making them very expensive.
Regional context and prehistory
The press in Brazil developed much later compared to neighboring countries in Spanish America. The historian and sociologist Sérgio Buarque de Holanda, in his book Raízes do Brasil, recounts that as early as 1535, books were printed in Mexico City. In 1539, Juan Pablos established his workshop in the city, becoming the first documented printer in the New World. From New Spain, the art of typography was taken to Lima, the capital of Peru. Authorization to establish a printing workshop in Lima was granted in 1584. According to an estimate, from the early 1500s to 1821, works were published in Mexico City alone, while in Lima, from 1584 to 1824, were published.Only in 1747, when printing was already established in all major cities of Spanish America, did António Isidoro da Fonseca open what was perhaps the first printing workshop in Brazil, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which was soon closed by royal order. A royal letter issued the same year ordered the owner to seize and return the "printing letters" to Portugal, stating:
In addition to António Isidoro da Fonseca's endeavor, other unsuccessful attempts make up what can be called the prehistory of the Brazilian press:
History
The Brazilian press officially began in Rio de Janeiro on May 13, 1808, with the creation of the Royal Press, now the Imprensa Nacional, by the regent prince Dom João. The printing machines, imported from England, had been brought amidst the escape of the royal family from Lisbon in 1807, by António de Araújo e Azevedo, the Count of Barca.However, the press did not develop rapidly and was primarily limited to government establishments and newspapers. The newspapers that survived for a long time were the Diário de Pernambuco and, in Rio de Janeiro, the Jornal do Commercio.
Furthermore, during its first 13 years in the country, the press was heavily censored. There was censorship at three levels, so "anyone who wanted to publish something in Brazil had to go through a long process," according to historian Isabel Lustosa. With the decree of March 2, 1821, this prior censorship was abolished.
Gazeta
The Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro, the first newspaper published in national territory, began circulating on September 10, 1808, printed on machines brought from England. As the official organ of the Portuguese government, which had taken refuge in the American colony, the newspaper only published news favorable to the government.Correio Braziliense
However, in the same year, a few months earlier, the exiled Hipólito José da Costa had launched the Correio Braziliense, the first Brazilian newspaper – albeit outside Brazil. The first issue of the newspaper is from June 1, 1808, but it only arrived in Rio de Janeiro in October, where it had a great impact on the more enlightened sectors of society, although it was banned and confiscated by the government. Until 1820, only the Gazeta had a license to circulate. In 1821, with the end of the prohibition, the Diário do Rio de Janeiro was launched.While the official newspaper reported "the health status of all the princes of Europe, birthdays, odes, and panegyrics of the reigning family," the exiled newspaper engaged in politics. Although it did not advocate for Brazilian independence and sometimes had a conservative political stance, the Correio Braziliense was created to criticize "the defects of the administration of Brazil," in the words of its creator, and acknowledged its "doctrinal character rather than informative."
Censorship
Everything that was published in the Royal Press was subject to a committee of three people tasked with "monitoring that nothing be printed against religion, government, and good morals." The prohibition of the press and prior censorship were justified by the fact that the general rule of the press at that time was not what is known today as news reporting but rather doctrinal, capable of "influencing public opinion," as the Correio Braziliense intended, and spreading its ideas among opinion-makers – essentially ideological propaganda.Prior censorship was abolished on August 28, 1821, as a result of a decision by the Constitutional Courts of Lisbon in defense of public freedoms. The personality of D. Pedro II, who was averse to persecutions, guaranteed an atmosphere of broad freedom of expression – a level not seen in any Latin American republic, thanks to the authoritarian caudillos who alternated power there. Freedom of the press was already guaranteed even by the granted Constitution of 1824. Bernardo Joffily writes: "Each current has its spokesperson," but still, "there are apolitical organs: the Diário do Rio de Janeiro doesn't even report on the Cry of Ipiranga. But the rule is engaged, doctrinal press."
The Frenchman Max Leclerc, who went to Brazil as a correspondent to cover the beginning of the republican regime, described the journalistic landscape in 1889:
Indeed, party newspapers or those spontaneously created and maintained by activists lack institutional organization and journalistic professionalism. During the most fervent moments of the republican campaign, dozens of ephemeral newspapers appeared but did not last more than a few months.
Newspapers of the Empire
Among the Rio de Janeiro newspapers during the imperial era were, of primary importance, Gazeta de Noticias and O Paiz, the largest at that time and the ones that survived the longest, until the Vargas Era. The others included Diario de Noticias, Correio do Povo, Cidade do Rio, Diario do Commercio, Tribuna Liberal, some newspapers prior to 1889 but with a strong republican campaign, such as A Republica, and the caricature and satire magazines: Revista Illustrada, O Mequetrefe, O Mosquito, and O Bezouro. Others included Jornal do Commercio and Gazeta da Tarde.In 1831, the year of Dom Pedro I's abdication, 48 different newspapers emerged in Rio de Janeiro, most of which were amateur and had low circulation, created with the aim of propagating the ideals of small groups or even a single person.
Iconography
Caricaturist, illustrator, journalist Ângelo Agostini is among the most prominent personalities of the Brazilian press. In a time when photography was still rare—and expensive—the illustrator had the undeniable power to construct the visual imagery of society. Thus, the "Emperor Cabeça-de-Caju" or the chubby prime minister with an air of haughtiness are what the population—and here even the illiterate masses enter—will consume and be guided by. A symbolic iconography of politics in the late Empire was created.The Revista Illustrada was truly innovative. The lithographed illustrations aimed for both perfection and expressiveness. The magazine also innovated with "interactive" layout, with illustrations in the header, frame, etc. It was published weekly and had national distribution.
During its continuous 22-year publication, the Revista Illustrada became ingrained in the national daily life and inspired a generation of satirical magazines. Although slightly earlier, they belong to the same period: O Mosquito, O Besouro, and O Mequetrefe.
Newspapers
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from:1808 till:1822 text:"Correio Braziliense "
from:1808 till:1821 text:"Gazeta do Rio de Janeiro "
from:1821 till:1878 text:"Diário do Rio de Janeiro "
from:1825 till:2020 text:"Diário de Pernambuco "
from:1827 till:1833 text:"O Farol Paulistano "
from:1827 till:2020 text:"Jornal do Commercio "
from:1849 till:1865 text:"O Mercantil "
from:1875 till:1942 text:"Gazeta de Noticias "
from:1875 till:2020 text:"O Estado de S. Paulo "
from:1882 till:2020 text:"Gazeta de Alegrete "
from:1884 till:1934 text:"O Paiz "
from:1884 till:2020 text:"Diário de S. Paulo "
from:1891 till:2010 text:"Jornal do Brasil "
from:1895 till:2020 text:"Correio do Povo "
from:1901 till:1974 text:"Correio da Manhã "
from:1907 till:2020 text:"Diário dos Campos "
from:1919 till:1974 text:"O Jornal "
from:1919 till:2020 text:"Gazeta do Povo "
from:1923 till:2020 text:"A Notícia "
from:1925 till:2020 text:"Folha de S. Paulo "
from:1925 till:2020 text:"O Globo "
from:1928 till:2020 text:"Estado de Minas "
from:1928 till:1965 text:"Diário Carioca "
from:1930 till:1976 text:"Diário de Notícias "
from:1948 till:2020 text:"Folha de Londrina "
from:1951 till:1991 text:"Ultima Hora "
from:1956 till:2020 text:"Tribuna do Paraná "
from:1960 till:2020 text:"Correio Braziliense "
from:1964 till:2020 text:"Zero Hora "
from:1986 till:2020 text:"Diário Catarinense "
from:1997 till:2020 text:"Extra "
from:2007 till:2020 text:"Metro Jornal "
at:1822 text:"1822: Independence"
at:1831 text:"1831: Regency period"
at:1840 text:"1840: Second Reign"
at:1889 text:"1889: Republic"
at:1930 text:"1930: Revolution of 30"
at:1937 text:"1937: Estado Novo"
at:1945 text:"1945: Democratization"
at:1964 text:"1964: Military regime"
at:1985 text:"1985: New Republic"