Marinho family channels have been the only ones to get exclusive access to the presidential couple
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Jeff Benicio
January 18, 2023 7:29 p.m
(updated at 7:32 p.m.)
In politics, yesterday’s enemy can become today’s ally. Evidence of this is the radical change in the relationship between Lula and Grupo Globo.
From the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in 2015 to the last interview of the presidential candidates in the Jornal Nacional in August 2022, the stations of the Marinho clan were the main target of the expresident’s verbal artillery.
The caress of William Bonner (“You don’t owe nothing to Justice”) served as the trigger for the start of an amazing truce on both sides of the front line.
In the coverage of Round 2, the ‘JN’ host even praised the presidentelect. Earlier, Lula herself had already spoken positively about the journalist’s attitude throughout the election campaign.
In November, sociologist Janja da Silva chose “Fantástico” to give her first long interview on television. There was 30 minutes of positive visibility.
In early January, Lula’s wife Natuza Nery, the most influential political commentator for GloboNews who has also appeared on Globo, opened the doors of the Alvorada Palace.
This Wednesday (18th), the same journalist was received at the Planalto Palace to record Lula’s first exclusive interview with a channel since taking office, shown on “Edições das 18h”. The deal lasted 50 minutes, the president wanted to talk more and the recording lasted 1h15.
An unwary person might conclude that Brazilian telejournalism boils down to Globo and GloboNews. How can this role and the supposed preference of the presidential couple be explained?
Three factors stand out. The first is contacts. Some journalists and reportage producers from both stations won the trust of the “hard core” around Lula.
The advisers who protect the President from press harassment only grant him access if they are certain the interview will be free of “pranks” and will have good repercussions.
Natuza Nery was already well respected in the corridors of Powers in Brasília long before she joined GloboNews in 2017. Your sources and contacts at the highest level are old.
The second problem is undoubtedly the audience. Globo is the leader in freetoair channels and GloboNews is number one in the payTV news segment.
Prime time on both networks is the best showcase for a politician who must defend himself, attack opponents and get a message across to as many people as possible at the same time.
There is also Lula’s intention to approach Roberto Marinho’s heirs. At a lunch with leftwing journalists in January 2022 in a São Paulo hotel, he complained about the cold relations imposed by the owners of Brazil’s largest communications empire.
“Did you talk to Dr. Roberto Marinho, but he doesn’t talk to his children,” he complained, according to a report by journalist José Cássio of the Diário do Centro do Mundo.
The rapprochement was conducted discreetly and offcamera by PT leaders and Lula’s ministers, who are holding friendly talks with Paulo Tonet, vice president of institutional relations at Grupo Globo.
After the fouryear war against Jair Bolsonaro, the Marinho family is now benefiting from the ceasefire with the Lula government. 3. By when? Who lives will see.
President Lula received Natuza Nery at the Planalto Palace
Photo: Reproduction/TV
Lula’s wife, Janja da Silva, opened the doors of the Alvorada Palace to Natuza Nery and her team
Photo: Playback/Instagram