Agência Brasil’s 33rd-anniversary challenge: promote public journalism

Wednesday, May 10, marks the 33rd anniversary of Agência Brasil, the public news agency that provides Brazilian citizens with free, high-quality information on matters of public interest in a contextualized manner.

Agência Brasil was established in 1990 as a government news agency linked to Radiobras, the federal government’s communications company. Its website was launched in 1996. During the first Lula government in 2003, the agency expanded its editorial line to cover not only government-related news but also social participation in the development of public policies and citizenship.

After four years, Agência Brasil became a part of a public communication conglomerate called Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), which was established to put into practice the concept of complementarity between private, public, and state broadcasting, as enshrined in Article 223 of the Federal Constitution.

Agência Brasil’s content is reproduced by various communication vehicles across Brazil, garnering around 160 million views on external websites in the first few months of this year. The agency published 5,700 articles in Portuguese, 515 in English, and 516 in Spanish, while providing 8,600 photographs through its photography service. At present, a team of about 70 reporters, editors, photojournalists, and translators operate from Brasília, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and São Luís.

Agência Brasil journalists in the newsroom of Empresa Brasil de Comunicaçāo (EBC) in Brasília. Photo: Joédson Alves/Agência Brasil

Agência Brasil’s role

The head of Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC), journalist Hélio Doyle, points out that all countries with a developed economy operate public news agencies that provide a great service to their population. “This role is what we expect Agência Brasil to fulfill”, he says.

Doyle, who served as a professor for over three decades at the University of Brasília (UnB), asserts that public news agencies are widely recognized and regarded as references, not only by the general public but also by opinion makers and the media.

He emphasizes that Agência Brasil aims to position itself as a relevant public communication agency for Brazilian society.

Journalist Midiã Noelle, who founded the Commbne initiative (Communication based on innovation, race, and ethnicity), stated that “Agência Brasil is a valuable ally in the struggle against racism. Having public communication agencies that prioritize the racial agenda and maintain a diverse team committed to combating racism is crucial for changing society.”

Citizenship

Admilson Ferro Jr., the general coordinator of the National Forum for the Democratization of Communication (FNDC), highlights that Agência Brasil’s provision of free content across the country plays a significant role in safeguarding the citizenship rights of all Brazilians in the realm of public journalism.