Reflections upon racism in the context of Brazilian mass media reform

To introduce this paper, author Regina dos Santos provides the following background: Communication media in Brazil - TV, radio, newspapers, magazines, and periodicals in general, and all the media including the most recent phenomenon, which is the Internet - reproduce stereotypes solidly ingrained in the national mentality. Members of the African-descended population are kept from watching themselves positively reflected in the media mirror and whenever they are shown their image is presented with traits built upon racial prejudice ideals, reinforcing distorted and stereotyped images of our reality. This perverse situation of racism and discrimination, both within and from the media, especially on TV, reflects not only historical and psychological aspects of racist practices in Brazilian society, but is also the result of a series of economical and political elements which have privileged only non-blacks in every section of economic, political, and social life in the country in the last decades.

In this context, the author urges questioning of the concession and distribution structures of mass media in Brazil. She focusses in this piece on the open TV system - the TV that uses satellites for data transmission, and that reaches more than 90% of houses and families in Brazil. This medium, she says, plays a key role in opinion formation, "reinforcing prejudice and stereotypes engrained in the national collective unconsciousness. The reach and power of these media make us question the current concession structure as well as its concentration in the hands of approximately 12 families".

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To address this situation, dos Santos supports the expansion of efforts to disseminate documents and proposals that strategise about correcting the exclusion of Brazil's black population - to the end of integrating such suggestions into a "broader discussion and reflection scenario. This means public and private radio and TV stations that are able to reach the greatest part of the Brazilian population, including urban centres, suburbs and the most distant places in the country." Drawing on examples from the United States, Canada, and South Africa, she highlights structures that have been put in place so that the community might access mass communication structures, and might participate in mechanisms related to private and political communication structures. She also stresses the role of budgetary endowments that guarantee the professional production and broadcasting of community programmes.

The paper calls for the promotion of debate in the public and private media context, as well as among those with political power, about the long-time exclusion of black Brazilians from the media. It should not be solely the victims of such discrimination who speak out against it, the author stresses; however, it is not in the interest of those in positions of power for the black community to organise itself around this kind of advocacy, she states.

Finally, dos Santos explores the concession process embedded in Brazilian media, which she claims contributes to the reinforcement of exclusion and racial discrimination. She concludes by arguing that this policy "is based on political and economic criteria, which do not guarantee the necessary democracy and equity that is fundamental for the communication sector to become an ally of social development. The challenge to remedy this is posed to Brazilian society as a whole. Besides reflecting and making evident the exclusive and racist structure of Brazilian media and the national political scene, both sides must sit down together to discuss reform. It's that simple."