Partido da Imprensa Golpista
Encyclopedia
Partido da Imprensa Golpista (PIG, Pro-coup
Press Party) is a term which became widely used among left-wing Brazil
ian websurfers since 2007 to characterize the attitude of the Brazilian mass media
towards President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
during the 2006 presidential election. The term was popularized by journalist Paulo Henrique Amorim
in his blog
. Whenever he uses the term, Amorim writes it with an "i" in lowercase as a pun with the name of the web portal where he was an articulist, before being abruptly dismissed on March 18, 2008, in an action which he describes as a process of "ideological cleansing".
The term is also constantly used by journalists Luiz Carlos Azenha
and Rodrigo Vianna on their blogs, which also helped to spread its popularity. However, the term gained wider notoriety when it was first used in the Brazilian Congress on a speech by Pernambuco
Congressman Fernando Ferro, a member of the Workers' Party
. He ironically suggested that film director
and Rede Globo
commentator Arnaldo Jabor
should run for "President of the PIG".
in the world, conservative
, low-quality and even sensationalistic
newspapers, and one single television network
matter as much as they do in Brazil. They have become a political party – the PiG, Pro-coup Press Party".
Amorim argues that even some politicians have become part of the PiG. He argues that "the political parties are no longer an instrument of the coup
but they have become the coup itself. With the speech of [doing] objective journalism, they not only do the job of a press that omits information; but do the job of a press that lies, distorts and deceits. Former President
FHC
was among the first politicians who realized that the political strength he needed could be found in the PIG, and thus nowadays he enjoys the image of being a prominent world leader".
According to journalist Maurício Dias, which draws a parallel between the Brazilian mass media and the Fox News Channel
, frequently accused of having a conservative bias, the Brazilian media is operated by a single guideline: "the Workers' Party
candidate can't win"
maintains that the mainstream Brazilian press historically defends coup d'état
s whenever the Brazilian President is not elected from among members of the ruling elites. The PIG, according to Amorim, had its origin with Carlos Lacerda
, whom he says "helped to kill Getúlio Vargas
". It continued its "struggle against democracy" throughout the governments of Juscelino Kubitscheck and João Goulart
, when finally "it openly defended and promoted the Brazilian military putsch of March 1964". According to him, the mass media also "hammered Rio
's governor Brizola
throughout his two terms in office; and now conspires against Lula".
Political scientist Wanderley Guilherme dos Santos, which had predicted the overthrow of President João Goulart in 1964, argued in an interview given to CartaCapital
in 2005 that the "mainstream media led Vargas to commit suicide based on nothing; it almost prevented Juscelino from taking office based on nothing; it led to Jânio
resignation, taking advantage of his craziness, based on nothing; it tried to prevent Goulart's inauguration based on nothing".
According to Paulo Henrique Amorim, only three Brazilian families control the whole of the mainstream Brazilian media: the Marinhos (Roberto Marinho
, Organizações Globo
), the Mesquitas (Julio de Mesquita, Grupo Estado
) and the Frias (Octávio Frias
, Grupo Folha
). According to Amorim, they dominate and condition news in Brazil, through their various newspapers, radio stations, news agencies and internet blogs. They have provoked what Amorim calls "a massacre" of the smaller Brazilian regional press, as a consequence of the control they exert on all of the mainstream information, in order to manipulate the Brazilian public opinion
.
s". Campos says that the mere existence of the internet interferes with the monopoly of information by large media groups, and this interference hampers coups.
to promote two eternal campaigns: one electoral, and another against the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo
and your managing editor. Azevedo said that everything would be done under the auspices of the Brazilian Government, through the advertising budget of a state bank, the Caixa Econômica Federal
.
According to opponents of the term, the press just denounce irregularities in public administration. J.R. Guzzo, "Veja"'s columnist, questioned the word "PiG", saying that when the press publishes complaints is accused by government of "destabilizing" Brazil. So, the use of the term would be an attempt to put the population against the press.
According to journalist Pedro Doria, the manifestation of an ideological polarity is intolerant and unable to explain a complex social reality.
In turn, Sergio Leo believes that the mainstream press is too complex to be labeled this way because it would encompass very different opinions and agendas.
However, the President of the National Newspaper Association (Associação Nacional de Jornais – ANJ) herself, Maria Judith Brito, said that Brazilian press has assumed the role of a political agent
in the 2010 presidential election
. Brito herself is an executive of the Folha de S. Paulo
newspaper. Interestingly, she was once a candidate for councilwoman for the Workers' Party. In her own words, Judith argues that the media has taken the role of the opposition to the Lula administration:
About her speech, journalist Luciano Martins Costa, from Observatório da Imprensa
, commented that:
(USP), conservative lawyers, artists and intellectuals launched a document that claimed to be "a manifesto in defense of democracy and freedom of press and expression". The meeting, an initiative of intellectuals linked to the opposition, was attended by former minister of the Brazilian Supreme Court Carlos Veloso, and lawyers as Hélio Bicudo and Miguel Reale Jr., former minister of the ex-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso
.
Hélio Bicudo was vice-mayor of São Paulo in the Marta Suplicy
's administration, having been away from the Workers Party in 2005. Bicudo declared his vote in the conservative candidate José Serra
at the Brazilian presidential election, 2010
, and said that the victory of Dilma Rousseff
would endanger the Brazilian democracy.
The response for this manifesto
was the "Manifesto Filósofos Pró-Dilma" ("Scholars Supporting Dilma Rousseff for President"), of October 6, 2010.
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
Press Party) is a term which became widely used among left-wing Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian websurfers since 2007 to characterize the attitude of the Brazilian mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
towards President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...
during the 2006 presidential election. The term was popularized by journalist Paulo Henrique Amorim
Paulo Henrique Amorim
Paulo Henrique dos Santos Amorim is a Brazilian blogger and journalist.- Biography :Paulo Henrique Amorim is Sociologist and Political scientist who has worked for big names of the Brazilian mass media, as Manchete Network, Grupo Abril, Jornal do Brasil, Globo Network, Bandeirantes Network and TV...
in his blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. Whenever he uses the term, Amorim writes it with an "i" in lowercase as a pun with the name of the web portal where he was an articulist, before being abruptly dismissed on March 18, 2008, in an action which he describes as a process of "ideological cleansing".
The term is also constantly used by journalists Luiz Carlos Azenha
Luiz Carlos Azenha
- Biography :Azenha was born in Bauru, São Paulo. He graduated in Journalism at the "Escola de Comunicações e Artes - ECA" of the Universidade de São Paulo. As journalist, begins his career in a local newspaper, the "Jornal da Cidade". Soon he was working at TV Bauru, a Rede Globo affiliate...
and Rodrigo Vianna on their blogs, which also helped to spread its popularity. However, the term gained wider notoriety when it was first used in the Brazilian Congress on a speech by Pernambuco
Pernambuco
Pernambuco is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. To the north are the states of Paraíba and Ceará, to the west is Piauí, to the south are Alagoas and Bahia, and to the east is the Atlantic Ocean. There are about of beaches, some of the most beautiful in the...
Congressman Fernando Ferro, a member of the Workers' Party
Workers' Party (Brazil)
The Workers' Party is a democratic socialist political party in Brazil. Launched in 1980, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important left-wing movements of Latin America. It governs at the federal level in a coalition government with several other parties since January 1, 2003...
. He ironically suggested that film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and Rede Globo
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
commentator Arnaldo Jabor
Arnaldo Jabor
Arnaldo Jabor is a Brazilian film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed nine films between 1965 and 1990. His 1973 film Toda Nudez Será Castigada won the Silver Bear at the 23rd Berlin International Film Festival....
should run for "President of the PIG".
Definition
Paulo Henrique Amorim's own explanation for the meaning of the expression appears whenever he mentions it in his articles. According to him, "in no serious democracyDemocracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
in the world, conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, low-quality and even sensationalistic
Sensationalism
Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and pieces are over-hyped to increase viewership or readership numbers...
newspapers, and one single television network
Rede Globo
Rede Globo , or simply Globo, is a Brazilian television network, launched by media mogul Roberto Marinho on April 26, 1965. It is owned by media conglomerate Organizações Globo, being by far the largest of its holdings...
matter as much as they do in Brazil. They have become a political party – the PiG, Pro-coup Press Party".
Amorim argues that even some politicians have become part of the PiG. He argues that "the political parties are no longer an instrument of the coup
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
but they have become the coup itself. With the speech of [doing] objective journalism, they not only do the job of a press that omits information; but do the job of a press that lies, distorts and deceits. Former President
President of Brazil
The president of Brazil is both the head of state and head of government of the Federative Republic of Brazil. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces...
FHC
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso – also known by his initials FHC – was the 34th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil for two terms from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2002. He is an accomplished sociologist, professor and politician...
was among the first politicians who realized that the political strength he needed could be found in the PIG, and thus nowadays he enjoys the image of being a prominent world leader".
According to journalist Maurício Dias, which draws a parallel between the Brazilian mass media and the Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel
Fox News Channel , often called Fox News, is a cable and satellite television news channel owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a subsidiary of News Corporation...
, frequently accused of having a conservative bias, the Brazilian media is operated by a single guideline: "the Workers' Party
Workers' Party (Brazil)
The Workers' Party is a democratic socialist political party in Brazil. Launched in 1980, it is recognized as one of the largest and most important left-wing movements of Latin America. It governs at the federal level in a coalition government with several other parties since January 1, 2003...
candidate can't win"
Historical background
Paulo HenriquePaulo Henrique Amorim
Paulo Henrique dos Santos Amorim is a Brazilian blogger and journalist.- Biography :Paulo Henrique Amorim is Sociologist and Political scientist who has worked for big names of the Brazilian mass media, as Manchete Network, Grupo Abril, Jornal do Brasil, Globo Network, Bandeirantes Network and TV...
maintains that the mainstream Brazilian press historically defends coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
s whenever the Brazilian President is not elected from among members of the ruling elites. The PIG, according to Amorim, had its origin with Carlos Lacerda
Carlos Lacerda
Carlos Frederico Werneck de Lacerda was a Brazilian journalist and politician.Born in Rio de Janeiro, Lacerda was the son of a family of politicians from Vassouras, Rio de Janeiro State....
, whom he says "helped to kill Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Vargas
Getúlio Dornelles Vargas served as President of Brazil, first as dictator, from 1930 to 1945, and in a democratically elected term from 1951 until his suicide in 1954. Vargas led Brazil for 18 years, the most for any President, and second in Brazilian history to Emperor Pedro II...
". It continued its "struggle against democracy" throughout the governments of Juscelino Kubitscheck and João Goulart
João Goulart
João Belchior Marques Goulart was a Brazilian politician and the 24th President of Brazil until a military coup d'état deposed him on April 1, 1964. He is considered to have been the last left-wing President of the country until Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in 2003.-Name:João Goulart is...
, when finally "it openly defended and promoted the Brazilian military putsch of March 1964". According to him, the mass media also "hammered Rio
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
's governor Brizola
Leonel Brizola
Leonel de Moura Brizola was a Brazilian politician. Launched in politics by Getúlio Vargas, Brizola was the only politician to serve as governor of two different states in the whole history of Brazil. In 1959 he was elected governor of Rio Grande do Sul, and in 1982 and 1990 he was elected...
throughout his two terms in office; and now conspires against Lula".
Political scientist Wanderley Guilherme dos Santos, which had predicted the overthrow of President João Goulart in 1964, argued in an interview given to CartaCapital
CartaCapital
CartaCapital is a weekly Brazilian newsmagazine published in Santana do Parnaíba, São Paulo and João Pessoa, Paraíba and distributed throughout the country by Editora Confiança. The main focuses of the magazine are politics, economy, social issues and culture.-History:CartaCapital was created in...
in 2005 that the "mainstream media led Vargas to commit suicide based on nothing; it almost prevented Juscelino from taking office based on nothing; it led to Jânio
Jânio Quadros
Jânio da Silva Quadros , , was a Brazilian politician who served as President of Brazil for only 7 months in 1961.-Career:...
resignation, taking advantage of his craziness, based on nothing; it tried to prevent Goulart's inauguration based on nothing".
Members
According to Paulo Henrique Amorim, only three Brazilian families control the whole of the mainstream Brazilian media: the Marinhos (Roberto Marinho
Roberto Marinho
Roberto Pisani Marinho was the president and founder of the biggest Brazilian TV channel, Globo, a television network with 113 stations and associates...
, Organizações Globo
Organizações Globo
Organizações Globo is the largest media conglomerate of South America, founded in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1925 by Irineu Marinho. It also owns companies on the food industry and the real estate and financial markets....
), the Mesquitas (Julio de Mesquita, Grupo Estado
O Estado de S. Paulo
O Estado de S. Paulo is a daily newspaper published in the Metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil, and distributed mainly nationally. It is owned by Grupo Estado, a holding company which publishes the Jornal da Tarde and owns the radios Rádio Eldorado AM and FM and the Agência Estado, largest...
) and the Frias (Octávio Frias
Octávio Frias
Octavio Frias de Oliveira was a Brazilian executive who built Grupo Folha, one of Brazil's largest media empires.Frias was born in Rio de Janeiro, and the family moved to São Paulo in 1918...
, Grupo Folha
Grupo Folha
The Grupo Folha is a Brazilian conglomerate of publishing companies, including newspapers, publishing houses, print shops and so on...
). According to Amorim, they dominate and condition news in Brazil, through their various newspapers, radio stations, news agencies and internet blogs. They have provoked what Amorim calls "a massacre" of the smaller Brazilian regional press, as a consequence of the control they exert on all of the mainstream information, in order to manipulate the Brazilian public opinion
Public opinion
Public opinion is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population. Public opinion can also be defined as the complex collection of opinions of many different people and the sum of all their views....
.
Role of the internet
According to writer Fernando Soares Campos, "without the internet, Lula would have hardly been elected; if he had, he would not take office; if he had took office, he would have been ousted with ease". He argues that "the PIG is strong, is Goliath, but the internet is filled with DavidDavid
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
s". Campos says that the mere existence of the internet interferes with the monopoly of information by large media groups, and this interference hampers coups.
Criticism
As one of the mains drivers of the word "PiG", Paulo Henrique Amorim is accused by the conservative journalist Reinaldo AzevedoReinaldo Azevedo
Reinaldo Azevedo is a conservative Brazilian journalist and columnist for Veja.-External links:* * * * · · * *...
to promote two eternal campaigns: one electoral, and another against the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo
Folha de S. Paulo
Folha de S. Paulo, known simply as Folha , is a Brazilian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in São Paulo since 19 February 1921. Owned by the Frias de Oliveira family since 1962, it has Brazil's largest circulation since 1986. Alongside O Globo and O Estado de S...
and your managing editor. Azevedo said that everything would be done under the auspices of the Brazilian Government, through the advertising budget of a state bank, the Caixa Econômica Federal
Caixa Econômica Federal
Caixa Econômica Federal , also referred to as Caixa or CEF, is a Brazilian bank. It is the largest government-owned financial institution in Latin America. It is the largest bank in Brazil and in Latin America by assets....
.
According to opponents of the term, the press just denounce irregularities in public administration. J.R. Guzzo, "Veja"'s columnist, questioned the word "PiG", saying that when the press publishes complaints is accused by government of "destabilizing" Brazil. So, the use of the term would be an attempt to put the population against the press.
According to journalist Pedro Doria, the manifestation of an ideological polarity is intolerant and unable to explain a complex social reality.
In turn, Sergio Leo believes that the mainstream press is too complex to be labeled this way because it would encompass very different opinions and agendas.
However, the President of the National Newspaper Association (Associação Nacional de Jornais – ANJ) herself, Maria Judith Brito, said that Brazilian press has assumed the role of a political agent
Election agent
In elections in the United Kingdom, as well as in certain other similar political systems such as India's, an election agent is the person legally responsible for the conduct of a candidate's political campaign and to whom election material is sent to by those running the election. In elections in...
in the 2010 presidential election
Brazilian presidential election, 2010
The Brazilian presidential election was held in 2010 with two rounds of balloting. The first round was held on October 3 along with other elections as part of the 2010 general election...
. Brito herself is an executive of the Folha de S. Paulo
Folha de S. Paulo
Folha de S. Paulo, known simply as Folha , is a Brazilian daily newspaper founded and continuously published in São Paulo since 19 February 1921. Owned by the Frias de Oliveira family since 1962, it has Brazil's largest circulation since 1986. Alongside O Globo and O Estado de S...
newspaper. Interestingly, she was once a candidate for councilwoman for the Workers' Party. In her own words, Judith argues that the media has taken the role of the opposition to the Lula administration:
About her speech, journalist Luciano Martins Costa, from Observatório da Imprensa
Observatório da Imprensa
Observatório da Imprensa is a Brazilian website, and also television and radio programs, which focuses on the analysis of the current state of the mass media in the country.-History:...
, commented that:
Manifesto "For democracy and press freedom"
On September 22, 2010, in an act outside the law school at the University of São PauloUniversity of São Paulo
Universidade de São Paulo is a public university in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is the largest Brazilian university and one of the country's most prestigious...
(USP), conservative lawyers, artists and intellectuals launched a document that claimed to be "a manifesto in defense of democracy and freedom of press and expression". The meeting, an initiative of intellectuals linked to the opposition, was attended by former minister of the Brazilian Supreme Court Carlos Veloso, and lawyers as Hélio Bicudo and Miguel Reale Jr., former minister of the ex-president Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Fernando Henrique Cardoso – also known by his initials FHC – was the 34th President of the Federative Republic of Brazil for two terms from January 1, 1995 to December 31, 2002. He is an accomplished sociologist, professor and politician...
.
Hélio Bicudo was vice-mayor of São Paulo in the Marta Suplicy
Marta Suplicy
Marta Teresa Smith de Vasconcelos Suplicy is a Brazilian politician and psychologist. She was Mayor of São Paulo from 2001 to 2004 as a member of the Brazilian Workers' Party...
's administration, having been away from the Workers Party in 2005. Bicudo declared his vote in the conservative candidate José Serra
José Serra
José Serra is a Brazilian politician, former secretary of state, congressman, senator, minister of Planning and Minister of Health, mayor of São Paulo and Governor of São Paulo state.-Background:...
at the Brazilian presidential election, 2010
Brazilian presidential election, 2010
The Brazilian presidential election was held in 2010 with two rounds of balloting. The first round was held on October 3 along with other elections as part of the 2010 general election...
, and said that the victory of Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Rousseff
Dilma Vana Rousseff is the 36th and current President of Brazil. She is the first woman to hold the office. Prior to that, in 2005, she was also the first woman to become Chief of Staff of Brazil, appointed by then President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva....
would endanger the Brazilian democracy.
The response for this manifesto
Manifesto
A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. Manifestos relating to religious belief are generally referred to as creeds. Manifestos may also be life stance-related.-Etymology:...
was the "Manifesto Filósofos Pró-Dilma" ("Scholars Supporting Dilma Rousseff for President"), of October 6, 2010.
See also
- 2002 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt
- ChojoongdongChojoongdongCho-Joong-Dong is a generally negative nickname for the three major newspapers in South Korea, the Chosun Ilbo, Joongang Ilbo and Dong-a Ilbo, which are criticized for a purportedly uniform and conservative editorial stance, and for operating in an allegedly collusive and surreptitious manner...
, a similar South Korean phenomenon