The sun., 1919-06-09
BRAZIL ISALAND OF
MANY NEWSPAPERS
Rio Janeiro Publishes Jour
nails With Widespread
Influence.
SPICY ITEMS ARE PRINTED
Expert Deplores Feeding of
u. S. With Misinformation
on Latin America.
ny CLAYTON s. COOPER,

<stAor o, "The Bra.irions and Their
Country" Misunderstanding South
America, etc.
Brazil is the newspaper mans para
disc. During the last century since the
publication of the first Brazilian Journal
each year has seen the birth Of not less
than $50 papers. Many OF these pc
iiodicals have been small and short lived,
hut II is to be noted that there are In
that country to-day 1000 journals
which are more or less influential, their
circulation varying from 500 to 100000
copies daily.
Every city, town or centre of COM
mercial Importance possesses its two or
more papers, which usually are well edit
cd and are forceful In the expression
Of Independent principles, filled with
news that is often impressive to the
foreigner because Of its cosmopolitan
character. The local Brazilian news
paper holds a unique position Of infiu-
ence because the vast area OF the
country makes transport comparatively
difficult and also because OF the local
character of first colonial settlements.
1t Ii quite to be expected that while
there Is n widespread tendency to pub
lish periodicals of every sort all over
the country. Rio de Janeiro. the Federal
capital, contains in its half dozen or
moro really excellent newspapers the
highest and best expression of Brazilian
Journalism
One of the first Brazilians I met in
Rio de Janeiro was Count Candida
Mendes de Almeida, managing director
and publisher of the JoTndl do Brasil
He had just returned from a long tour
through the United States. going from
coast to coast and inspecting, as he told
me, virtually every large newspaper
plant in the principal cities. He had
brought back many new ideas which he
and his brother, who is Brazilian
Senator, are now putting into opera
ton in the fine building owned by this
paper on the Avenida Rio -Branco, at
present the highest structure in the city.
Meets formal do Comercio' Editor.
Shortly before he sailed for brief
trip to Europe 1t was my pleasure to
spend an evening with the distinguished
scholar, financier and philanthropist
DR.. Jose Carlos Rodrigues, who since
1890 had. until recently, been the pro-
prietor and general editor OF the Journal
do Commerce., the greatest national
newspaper of Brazil.
While there many papers In Bra
ell of real merit, there is Individually no
Journal which has had through a long
period Of years such dignified standing
or such power over public sentiment as
this newspaper, which started as a
small shipping journal in 1927. 1t was
founded as a commercial paper and 1t
has always maintained Its position as
the authoritative sheet regarding bust
ness and commerce. both at home and
abroad. The historian who writes the
annals of Brazil will find some of his
best and most complete material in the
archives of the Journal do Comm rcio
from the year 1927 onward.
Although believe there Is one other
D.. paper in Brazil Gin Pernambuco) which
claims an earlier foundation than this
patriarchal. Journal OF Rio de Janeiro,
there is probably no other organ OF the
country from which a study of national
journalism can be more completely
made.
Ones FIRST impression in taking UP this
newspaper, whose normal bulk is six
teen pages, and whose special or Sunday
issues reach ,twenty-four pages Of eight
columns each. is that one is getting too
much for his money. With its absence
OF heavy headlines and the features of
sensational journalism. one is puzzled to
know where TO begin. 1t is impossible
to read 1t all and it Is equally impos-
sible TO skim" this journal.
Many of the features guiding the
readers In the newspapers OF the United
states are absent. For example. there
is no editorial page. and the absence of
leading articles marks a distinct char
acteristic of much Brazilian journalism.
From the beginning the Journal do Com
U,ercto has held to its ideal of being
unbiased In political matters, and by
reason of it's. success in holding to a
neutral attitude in politics, the paper
has gained the. confidence of the COM
munity and the nation as we'll
This paper Is called the solon OF the
Brazilian press because 1t rarely ex.
presses Its opinion. but when II does its
dictum Is almost as powerful as that of
the Government.
Fay to Express Their Opinions.
A feature which seems curious TO the
North American is the paid publication,
by request or announcements by re.
quest Although the editors of the
formal do not deign to express their own
opinion daily. they give this privilege
10 the Brazilian world at so much line
1t Is possible and somewhat popular also
10 republish articles partisan and other.
wise In this influential organ which have
Deen published elsewhere in the country
or even In other newspapers of the Fed
eral capital, In order that the thought.
OF the writer may get hearing among
the influential circle of formal readers.
AS many OF these articles are filled
with spice. and often are OF a semi
private Character they are eagerly reat
by the newspaper loving Cariocans. Il
ID significant of the influential oharacte,
OF the paper that as a result of a serie,
or such special articles the Jorndl was
able TO raise some time ago in two o,
three weeks a fund of 100000 for q
STATUE TO the late Secretary OF Foreign
Affairs. the Baron Rio Brancho.
What can the papers in the United
States do toward developing South
American tradeo" / asked in the off1c,
or an experienced official In one of tn,
largest port cities in South America
This was the reply received:
The press of the United States car
help by telling the truth about thes,
republics"
Misleading Reports Here.
In explanation the official went on Il
say that there evidently had been 6
campaign In the United States to pie
ture. South America in "couleur de rose.
1t had been presented from many angle,
as kind OF Eldorado waiting the TWEEN
tieth century business pioneers OF Nortf
America to discover its easy treasures
Many sections of the American press
moreover had failed to ascertain care
fully concerning the facts previous [,
publishing articles from transient ira
Vellers, while many papers had picked
out only the sensational things regard
ing the present day republics an,
played them up more with the idea n
obtaining interested readers than viii,
the"serious objective OF depicting aetna
conditions,
Fr. ~