Attacks on Freedom of the Press in Brazil Break Records in 2020

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The number of attacks on freedom of the press in Brazil broke records in 2020.

The report by the National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ) shows that “there were 428 cases of violence, more than double (105.77%) the already alarming number of 208 registered in 2019”. This was the highest number of attacks against the press since FENAJ began this survey over 20 years ago.

The attack on the credibility of the press, with statements that sought to disqualify journalistic information, was the most frequent record: over one-third of the total.

President Jair Bolsonaro alone was responsible for 175 attacks on the press. Following Bolsonaro, the main attackers of the press in 2020 were government employees and politicians.

FENAJ states that “the explosion of cases is associated with the systematic actions of President Jair Bolsonaro, to discredit the press, and the actions of his supporters against media outlets and journalists. It began in 2019 and worsened in 2020, when journalistic coverage of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus was a pretext for dozens of attacks by the President and those who followed him in denial of the health crisis.”

FENAJ also points out the increase in cases of censorship and verbal attacks on journalists, particularly on the Internet. This type of attack increased dramatically in 2020: 280% compared to the preceding year, and this includes intimidation, threats, and even attempts to take down journalistic websites.

Journalists working on television were the hardest hit by the attacks, which accounted for over 24% of cases. The Southeast is the region with the most cases of direct violence against journalists, and the Midwest registers the highest number of attacks on press freedom, with Brasília standing out.

FENAJ’s president Maria José Braga said that the figures show that the systematic disrespect for journalists’ work has been growing alarmingly:

“We qualify this as an attempted attack on press freedom. Also because all these attempts at discrediting the press, fortunately, have not been successful. We continue to do our work. Journalists continue doing their work and ensuring the right to journalistic information to all Brazilian society.”

The Planalto Palace refused to comment on the report.