Adventures of a Gringa

Brazil Through the Media Lens

Something that drives some Brazilians and Brazil observers crazy is the international media's tendency to constant relate Brazil's misfortunes to the upcoming World Cup and Olympics. After three buildings collapsed in Rio last week, likely due to illegal construction in one of the buildings, one of the most prevalent messages throughout the English-language coverage of the tragedy was relating the events to Brazil's preparedness for the international events. Not about Brazil's building codes, or construction laws, or safety regulations (luckily, some people did cover those issues, as you'll see shortly, and there are still plenty of talented journalists providing great coverage of Brazil), but just the basics of the aftermath and why the tragedy reflects poorly on Brazil's upcoming events. Just search for terms related to the building collapse with Olympics or World Cup and you'll find dozens of results. It's not that they're completely off target; some of the articles are thoughtful and sensible, like this one from the Christian Science Monitor, which delves into some of the important issues about construction. But it makes you wonder if journalists are legitimately connecting current events to the Olympics, or if the editorial directive is to make that connection in order to inspire interest in readers.

It's not as if there has been a shortage of tragic events in Rio in particular; as Julia Michaels explains on Rio Real Blog, "In the last year Rio has seen exploding manhole covers, trolley, ferry and bus accidents, metro stoppages and electrical blackouts, among other catastrophes." She also went on to discuss the background of what happened, and why it could theoretically happen again, and why it's a serious issue for the city. But in the mainstream media, the imperative seems to be to connect any negative news events in Brazil to the World Cup and Olympics. To give you an idea of how pervasive this narrative has become, my grandmother brought it up of her own accord over the holidays, mentioning she'd been reading and hearing about it on the news.

The same types of speculations were made about South Africa before the World Cup, wondering if they would be ready in time. Things worked out fine, in the end, and they likely will in Brazil, too, even if things wrap up at the last minute or if certain projects have to be abandoned. The more important questions, of whether all of the preparations for the events will benefit Brazil, or if rushing to finish projects for the events will negatively impact the country (as in, buildings collapsing out of thin air), are discussed infrequently outside of Brazil in the mainstream media. It begs to question: once 2016 rolls around, will anyone want to cover Brazil anymore? Without the big international events to constantly peg news to, will readers and viewers care? Or will Brazil gradually lose space in the international press, particularly in the English-language press? It even makes me wonder if they'll pull correspondents after the Olympics wrap up--it seems possible, sadly, despite Brazil's continually growing global importance.

It's possible another tactic to take will be on that some outlets already use: constantly mixing inappropriate references to stereotypical aspects of Brazilian culture to serious news pieces. It's something I've written about before, and is an unfortunate ongoing trend. In some articles, it seems difficult for outsiders to treat Brazil as they would a developed country, constantly needing to throw in some banal reference to samba or bikinis. Two recent examples: a comprehensive BBC article about the Brazilian economy, an excellent piece that was trivialized presumably by an editor who decided on the title: "Brazil's economy marches to a samba beat." There was also an otherwise insightful Wall Street Journal article about start ups in Brazil, but included an unrelated photo of a Carnival dancer (with a caption making a tenuous connection to the article) and this paragraph:

"Obviously, as everyone says, Brazil is the next China—it's now the sixth-largest economy in the world. 'The not-obvious part,' Julio Vasconcellos, cofounder and chief executive of Peixe Urbano, told me, 'is there is a ton of opportunity here and very few people taking advantage of it.' Why isn't every sunny young Brazilian with a tech idea taking the leap? Because, beyond the thongs, they've got issues. (Who doesn't?)."

It may seem trivial to point out this kind of framing of Brazil, but as I've written before, I do think it makes a difference in the long run of how foreigners perceive, and consequently interact with Brazil. It also helps perpetuate the complexo de vira-lata, as aptly mentioned in the WSJ article. The World Cup and Olympics actually can provide a break from this type of stereotypical and sometimes inappropriate framing of Brazil, even if mentioning the events isn't always warranted. But it does make me wonder what Brazil's "hook" will be in the international media after 2016. I guess we can expect a lot more samba references. 

Q&A With Anderson Antunes

Anderson Antunes is a Brazilian journalist based in Europe who writes the South American Way blog for Forbes, focusing on current events in Brazil. He's a thoughtful and perceptive observer of Brazilian trends, culture, and news, and he's written about everything from jewelry heists to supermodel Gisele, from movies to lawsuits. He also writes about famous Brazilians, from Eike Batista to Rafinha Bastos. In addition to the blog, he uses Twitter to share information about Brazil. I asked him a few questions about his career and his thoughts on how Brazil is covered in the international press.

Tell me a little bit about your career. What got you interested in journalism, and how'd you end up at Forbes?

I became a journalist in 2005. I’ve always been interested in news and everything related to it. During my high school years, I spend a lot of time studying the period in which Fernando Collor was the president of Brazil, for an essay that I was writing at the time, and, as a result, I had to do a lot of research. I used to spend entire afternoons at my school’s library going through their archives of magazines like Veja and IstoÉ, reading everything about that particular time of Brazil’s history. I guess it was love at first sight and that was when I knew I had to become a journalist. I’ve written, either as a freelance journalist or as a contributing writer, for several publications in the United States, the UK and Brazil. Right now I also work as a contributor for Glamurama, writing for both their website and some of their magazines, such as Poder. Forbes came to me asking if I was interested in writing about Brazil, from a ‘Brazilian living abroad’ point of view. I just had to say yes.

You write a lot about Brazil in English for an international audience. What do you think it's important for foreign readers to know about Brazil?

Well, there’s a lot of interest in Brazil and all things Brazilian right now. That’s why I was asked by Forbes to write on things related to my native country. I’m not exactly covering politics or economics, as a lot of other people are doing exactly that. My goal is to give a glimpse to worldwide readers of what attracts Brazilians' interest, what’s news around there and why that’s relevant in a global scenario.

You've written about women's issues and gay rights. Why are those important topics in terms of news in Brazil?

I guess Brazil is growing at a very fast pace, not only economically but also socially. Those issues are very present in Brazilians' lives today, but they are still seen as some sort of taboo. I have the chance to analyze all that from far, which gives me a different perspective and, sometimes, it even surprises me. I believe Brazil needs to address those issues if it wants to become a truly important player in a globalized world. Right now, I think we still have a long road ahead of us.

You've also written a bit about Globo, from novelas to Fátima Bernardes. Why does Globo interest you from a cultural perspective?

When you talk about Brazil’s entertainment industry, is there anything else to talk but Globo? It is the biggest and the most influential media group in South America, they have a social relevance that deserves attention.

Which Brazil-related topics do you feel are missing from the international press?

I think it’s time for the worldwide press to stop spoiling us and actually writing about what’s happening around there. Foreigners still have a ‘misguided’ idea of what Brazil really is. Some people think it’s the best country in the world, which is not true. Some thing it’s the worst, which is not true either. The press is concentrating too much on things such as our economics and missing important points about our people, our culture and who we really are and why we are so proud of our country.

You live in Paris. What do you miss most about Brazil?

Actually, I’m in London right now but, yes, I’m based in Paris (probably moving to London next year). At this time of the year, I must say I miss THE WEATHER! And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t really appreciate high temperatures that much. But I love being abroad and experiencing new things every day. Besides, I usually feel at home whenever I see a Brazilian, what happens a lot. Brazilians are everywhere these days!

Read Anderson's blog, South American Way

Revitalizing Rio

Last week, a feature story from Travel + Leisure Magazine began circulating amongst Cariocas and Rio gringos, and I thought it was worth analyzing.

The article, entitled Revitalizing Rio de Janeiro, was written by an enthusiastic New York and London-based journalist and details Rio's reemergence as a city and a destination. I recommend reading the whole piece first. Go ahead, I'll wait.

On one hand, the article really does a fantastic job of giving Rio great and well-deserved PR. Tourists are sometimes intimidated by Rio, and the article is very encouraging to those who might have their doubts. More tourism in the long run (rather than relying soley for the two upcoming mega-events) is one of the ultimate goals in upgrading the city's infrastructure. Also, it's important to note that the article is written with a specific audience in mind - a worldly and well-heeled crowd, much more so than your run-of-the-mill vacation seeker.

It's tempting to become starry-eyed when you travel in Rio, especially if it's your first time. It's extremely difficult not to fall in love with the city and sometimes it can be hard not to romanticize even one's own experiences. So I definitely can relate, since it's tempting to want to extoll the virtues of a place that is so easy to love, at the outset. I've also found that with stories like this, particularly features on Rio, the tendency is to either be very positive (some Cariocas described the story as ufanista, or excessively patriotic) or very negative (see this ESPN story, for example) But it's also important to be realistic and rational, and here are some areas I thought were worth discussing.

1. Optimism

It's true that Rio seems to be bursting at the seams with optimism, something I also noticed on my recent trip. Many Cariocas are happy with changes in Rio, some stemming from preparations to play host to the World Cup and the Olympics in the next few years, be it extended subway lines or improved public safety (though I'll get to that in a minute). But I also think that economic growth has a lot to do with the optimism, since people are much happier when they have money in their wallets and greater prospects for the future. The overall growth of the Brazilian economy and its immediate effects on the local economy, as well as the growing importance of Rio as a hub for multinational companies and the effects of the influx of those new people and businesses, have been a large part of the everyday optimism you might see.

On the other hand, not all Cariocas are brimming with optimism. Many are still frustrated with public security, and everyone is unhappy with rising prices, which have reached exorbitant levels in some areas, like real estate. Also, after it was recently announced that Maracanã Statidum would only host the finals of the World Cup, which means the Brazilian national team may not even play there, some Cariocas voiced their frustration with the multi-million dollar reforms that may have very little impact on the city or its people in the long run.

The Travel + Leisure story closes with some quotes from Regina Casé, which some found to be off-putting. She's quoted as saying: “In Rio, we invite all the problems to a big party and we let them dance together.”

One of my readers, Claudio, a Carioca illustrator, explained his thoughts.

"Yeah, things are a bit better here, but mostly because 'rock bottom = no place to go but up.' I live on the West Side of Rio, not too far from Barra beach. The traffic has only gotten worse, and you get gridlocked regardless of rush hours. I don't go out at night, because the streets aren't really safe, with criminals posing as cops and putting up false checkpoints to rob citizens. Regina Casé's notion of 'we invite problems and let them dance' is actually a philosophy that somewhat brought this whole mess upon ourselves. Brazilians (and cariocas) have a tendency of getting too complacent, of finding a way around problems instead of trying to solve them. There is nothing to be proud of in that kind of mentality."

2. Beach democracy

While at first glance it might seem like Rio's beaches are "democratic," since people from different social classes frequent them. But it's not quite the case. Beaches tend to be segmented by social class - in Copacabana and Ipanema, for example, each "post" tends to have a specific group. While Posto 9 has traditionally been a hang out for the wealthy, other posts tend to have beachgoers from working-class suburbs or from favelas. Even Prainha, which is small in comparison, has fragmented segments. It's an unspoken rule that everyone should stay in his or her place - even on the beach. As for Vik Muniz's allegation that Cariocas drop everything to go to the beach every day at 4PM - I can only imagine that maybe he was taken out of context. Even he knows that the very large majority those who work are hardly running from the office to the beach. Most are just getting out of work and trying to go home at the end of the day.

3. Snobbery

One of the lines in the story that seemed to bother Cariocas was the author's claim that "it’s pointless being a snob in Rio." There was also the bit that said, "In Rio de Janeiro, those who have privilege admire those who don’t." That snobbery doesn't exist in Rio is laughable, and I found it odd that considering that the author seemed to spend a good deal of time amongst the wealthy, he didn't seem to notice (or maybe didn't want to point it out).

Fellow blogger Corin, who's written extensively about Brazil, told me this in reference to the snobbery aspect:

"When, for instance, I told a friend of mine who lives in Ipanema that I'd spent the day out in Madureira, his response was actually "EW" -- as if "poor" were contagious. Another person -- on the way to her gated condo complex near Angra -- told me that "whenever we find some beautiful place, 'they' have to go and make it look ugly [by constructing a favela]." (She didn't seems to wonder or care where "the help" lived -- only that they were neither seen nor heard.) I've always had the distinct feeling that there's a whole class of folks for whom 'Rio de Janeiro' extends only as far as North as Centro -- and even then only the 'asfalto."

On the other hand, it's true that some members of the upper class like to play down their social status, it certainly doesn't mean they admire those who live in favelas. Claudio explained it this way:

"Now, if you go to an upscale shopping mall, it's common to see wealthy 20-somethings wearing tattered jeans, flip-flops and a flimsy t-shirt. It's trendy among the youth in Rio to downplay how wealthy they are, to proudly proclaim how they go to pagode houses in Lapa or eat standing at the counter of this or that streetside bar, etc. On the other hand, middle-class or lower-middle-class people usually "dress up" when they go to the mall. Kinda topsy-turvy, really."

But other than social reformers and those who work with NGOs, you'd be hard-pressed to find upper class Cariocas that defend the existence of favelas, or boast of having friends there.

4. Flip Flops

I was a little confused by the author's claim that he saw people wearing flip flops at City Hall. Business attire is pretty strict, and it's unthinkable that a professional would show up to work in flip flops, especially in government. My best guess is that they were lost tourists, or maybe some construction workers passing through.

5. Security

I think this was the part of the article that was the most problematic, since much of the references to crime and security were written in the past tense. Unfortunately, it's not the case that Rio's security problems are a thing of the past. There was one part of the article where a person seemed to imply that people no longer use bullet proof cars, and declared that people roll down their windows now. People who drive cars without air conditioning have always been rolling down their windows, and for those who can afford it (a small elite), bullet-proofed vehicles are still the norm. The author also quotes Fernando Gabeira as saying, “Security is an impression as much as it is a reality. If people think things are better, they are better.” While I'd agree this is more applicable to economics - even the impression of wealth has helped generate even more optimism around the economy - it doesn't apply as much to security.

While Rio has come a long way, crime statistics are still grim. Though murder rates have supposedly gone down (though there's speculation about those numbers), other crimes are on the rise. Flash kidnappings, for example, more than doubled for the period of April to June from 2010 to 2011.

Crime still plagues many of Brazil's big cities. A recent IBOPE report found that 51 percent of Brazilians consider public security as bad or terrible. Greg Michener summarized the report on his blog:

"Within the last twelve months more than 51% of Brazilians give public safety a failing grade; 79% say they have witnessed or experienced some type of crime within the last 12 months; 63% say they avoid carrying money while circulating around their respective cities; 57% report that they have increased the caution they take when leaving their houses; and 54% avoid going out at night."

On my recent trip to Rio, my husband and his friends were reminiscing about friends who had died young. A friend who lives in the Zona Norte, one of the working class suburbs, matter-a-factly commented that he'd witnessed executions from his window. "The cost of life is so cheap," he said. Then he changed the subject.

After the IBOPE report came out, Rio-based crime reporter Jorge Antonio Barros asked his readers on Twitter how they have changed their habits to avoid crime. One reader who lives in Rio wrote: "I haven't changed any habits. It's just that I don't walk around with money. I always have my debit card and my metro card. If I get robbed, I give up everything and block the cards later."

The article seems to imply that militias are a thing of the past. They're still very much a problem, particularly in the Zona Oeste and Zona Norte. And even though the government has been cracking down on them, it's unclear if impunity will reign as usual. Just this weekend, prison officials were forced to explain why 2,600 cans of beer were delivered to a prison, likely to be served to former police officers behind bars for a range of crimes. In September, a former police officer accused of 16 murders escaped from the same prison, and once he was out, he allegedly began plotting to murder a local politician. So in the Travel + Leisure article, when it said (past tense) that the poor used to fear police, and the wealthy were skeptical of police, it really should have said that many people, regardless of social class, still fear the police.

So it's always nice to see an article like this, especially in contrast to some of the more bleak pieces on poverty and crime. But it's also nice to see some perspective. Corin described her thoughts on the article. "I mean, I guess anyone would like to visit the Rio he went to: the political left and right are singing kumbaya, the poor are respected, the rich are respectful, and even the models don't have eating disorders." The Rio in this article is the kind of Rio everyone is hoping for, but isn't quite there yet.

Q&A With Gustavo Chacra

Gustavo Chacra is the New York-based foreign correspondent for Estado de São Paulo, one of Brazil's major newspapers (and in my opinion, one of the best). He covers not only the United States, but the Middle East as well, and as well as writing hard news, he also writes a very interesting, award-winning blog, From Beirut to New York. In his blog, he discusses life in New York, analyzes US foreign policy, covers current events in the Middle East, and international topics. He received his masters in International Affairs from Columbia, and has traveled all over the Middle East and throughout Latin America. He worked in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010, and was one of the first foreign correspondents to cover Occupy Wall Street. I was very excited when he took time out of his busy schedule after returning from Syria to answer some questions about life as a correspondent and his experiences around the world. I've included the original Q&A in Portuguese as well as the English translation.

English

What's the biggest challenge to being a foreign correspondent?

My dream was always to be a correspondent. The biggest challenge is to live in two worlds at once. That is to say, I live in the U.S., but my work is in Brazil. I keep up with all of the news here, but I need to always keep an eye on the reactions to that news in São Paulo. My bosses, my readers, everyone is in another country and that has to be my point of reference.

It seems you have a great interest in the Middle East. Have you thought of living or working there?

I spent nine months as a correspondent in the Middle East from 2008 to 2009. Maybe in the future I'll go back there. But I really do like the United States, and Argentina as well, where I worked as correspondent.

You recently criticized an article by Rui Castro. What do you think about famous people who publicly discuss politics or foreign affairs?

I think everyone has the right to have an opinion about all kinds of topics. However, in order not to make mistakes, people should avoid discussing topics they don't understand. For example, you'd be hard-pressed to see me giving an opinion about theater.

You've observed the differences between the economic crisis here and the economic boom in Brazil. How do you view the economic situation in both countries?

I still think that the U.S. is the most innovative country and certainly the economy will return to the right path in due course. But the world has changed and new forces have emerged, like the BRICs. We should just be careful, become economic booms like the one in Brazil don't last forever.

This year, the Brazilian government created a scholarship program to send Brazilian students abroad. As someone who studied abroad, what do you think about the plan?

I think it's crucial. Anyone who has the opportunity should spend some time abroad.

What's your favorite place in New York?

Columbia and Lincoln Center.

What was your experience like in Haiti after the earthquake?

I think the best way to describe what I went through in Haiti is in this post that I wrote back then. I know it's long, but it was my reaction to the situation.

Translated post from January 2010 - From Beirut To New York

The American journalist Gay Talese wrote in his book "The Kingdom and Power," about the history of The New York Times, that journalists prefer "to see countries in ruins and ships sinking than a normal scene that's part of everyday life." I remembered that quote when I was waiting in a line of journalists to cross the Israeli border to enter Gaza to see what had happened after the bombings. And I thought of it while fighting with other journalists for a spot on whatever single-engine airplane I could to travel from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince the morning after the earthquake.

We wanted to see the war, the aftermath of the earthquake, the bodies, the hunger, the tragedy. But to say that we preferred this to normal life, like Talese claims? It's hard to say. I live in the same city as him - New York. The Tuesday when the earthquake happened, a week ago, it began as a slow news day. I could even eat lunch without racing through, something rare when you work with a three hour time difference. At the beginning of the night, I wrote a story about a distant struggle between Google and the Chinese government. Everything changed when the editor of the International section, Roberto Lameirinhas, called to talk about the earthquake in Haiti. Instantly, I said I wanted to cover the earthquake. I looked for flights online and found one to Port-au-Prince. But they obviously cancelled the flight. Early the next day, I took a flight to Santo Domingo with other reporters. It was the center of all world news. "Earthquakes and wars," as Talese would say.

Haiti is worse than Gaza, where I was last year. Ten times worse. It's also worse than the south of Lebanon after Hezbollah's war with Israel. And worse than Beirut after the civil war. I saw scenes that I never imagined were possible. Within 24 hours, I left Manhattan, considered the most sought after place on the planet, to see burned corpses, bodies abandoned in the street, including a baby left on a piece of cardboard. People without food, without water, with nothing. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed. There's no prospects for this country to get back on its feet quickly. Not even with the help of the heroic Brazilian soldiers and soldiers from other countries with MINUSTAH, who risked their lives to try to find survivors. Not even with the arrival of American reinforcements and humanitarian aid organizations.

To see all of these things and to write the stories, with the pressure of a deadline, to write clearly, with the Internet going out, and running the risk of typos because of typing quickly are just some of the biggest challenges for any journalist. In a situation like this, there's no time to get organized and the best way to get around is to just bring a backpack with a computer and emergency food. I came practically with just the shirt on my back, without toothpaste or deodorant, which you can't bring in carry-on bags through the airport in the US. I forgot my toothbrush in Santo Domingo and I had to use my hand and borrowed toothpaste. In the bathroom, I scrubbed myself with a shirt. Luckily, I managed a place to stay and eat at the Brazilian military base, the best place to stay in Port-au-Prince. All of the Brazilian journalists are here. Globo, SBT, Band, Estado, Folha, TV Brasil, IG.

At a time like this, the reporters try to help one another. There isn't rivalry, and everyone works together in the press room and goes out in groups. We each have our point of view. Fabiano, from Folha, and Rodrigo, from Zero Hora, covered the crisis in Honduras at the embassy; Gilberto, from O Globo, covered the earthquake in China; and I covered the war in Gaza, as well as conflicts in Lebanon and Tegucigalpa. Lourival Santanna, my colleague from Estadão in Haiti, must have ten wars under his belt, including Iraq and Afghanistan. What matters is to show the story of the people of Haiti through our own eyes. Many of the victims were burned or buried without being identified. We'll never know who they were, their memories, if they had children, if they had a mother, who their girlfriend was, the last book they read, what they ate for their last meal or what their plans were for the end of the day that was interrupted by the earthquake. Hundreds or thousands may be under the rubble, including medical students. For these stories, we waited in line in Gaza and flew on single-engine airplanes from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince. In Manhattan, we would never see these scenes. Not even on September 11th.

Read the interview em português after the jump.

Deadly Games

Every so often, a story will come out in the American or European media about the World Cup and Olympics preparations in Rio. Sometimes, it's about how things aren't going quickly enough and that projects won't be finished in time, and other times it's about how favela residents are being evicted to make way for a new stadium and new infrastructure projects, like this recent story from Reuters. A few weeks ago, Amnesty International joined in, when the secretary general spoke out about concerns for favela residents being evicted. It seems almost cyclical, and it will probably continue all the way to 2014.

But this week, a somewhat unusual story came out. It wasn't from one of the big outlets, and it wasn't inspired by a sound bite from an official. It was a long piece from ESPN, but had almost nothing to do with sports. It was devoted almost entirely to a recent history of violence in one of Zona Norte's favelas, near the city's (and country's) largest stadium. Entitled "Deadly Games," written by Wright Thompson, it featured an image of a BOPE officer and his gun against a background of a favela, and Maracanã smack in the middle. The article aims to shock, especially those who unfamiliar with Rio realities. Here's how it begins:

"A white cross rising above the Macacos slum marks the spot where people are burned alive. A starving horse, his ribs poking out, is hitched close by with a thin rope. A nearby soccer field is dotted with pieces of melted rubber. No games are played here. The Amigos dos Amigos gang that runs this favela has a ritual: Members stack tires around their enemies, pour in gasoline and light the tires on fire. This is called microwaving. Black smoke rises into the air. At a school down the hill, near the famous soccer stadium where the 2016 Olympic opening ceremonies will be held, the students hear the screams and cover their ears. This is Rio in real life."   [Read the story in its entirety here]

The article goes on to talk about the war in the Morro dos Macacos favela, as well as touching on the disconnect between the vision of the city marketed for the upcoming Olympics and World Cup and the violence in the city's slums. While it's on the sensationalist side, and pretty pessimistic to boot, it's really well written and largely sticks to the facts. If it weren't for the great writing, it would almost feel like the script for a violent video game or a bad action movie.

Since the article criticized Brazil, the repercussions were quick, and much to be expected. The article generated hundreds of comments, and several dozen articles in the Brazilian media were dedicated to it, including the major outlets like Globo, Folha, and EXAME.

Still, Rio's violence is hardly a secret, and the government's efforts to combat drug trafficking and organized crime have made international headlines in the last year or so. While I tend to agree that things may go back to the way they were after the Olympics are over, I disagree that there's so much concern for security during the actual games. It's likely the city will be safest during the World Cup and Olympics, when the government will mobilize its resources to ensure the safety of visitors. It's possible the army or military police may even occupy some of the favelas during the games, like they've done in the past. It doesn't seem fair, but it's happened before: peace in Rio in 2014 and 2016 will be para inglês ver, and it's very likely that like during past events, including the 2007 Pan Am Games, everything will go smoothly and everyone will go home happy. Cariocas are hoping the changes made in preparation for the games will remain past 2016, but like Mr. Thompson, plenty are skeptical. I'm all in favor of being realistic, but it never hurts to have a little optimism.

Entrevista com Gilberto Scofield

Descobri o blog do Gilberto um tempo atrás quando ele dedicou um post ao meu blog, e achei muito interessante ler sobre a perspectiva de um brasileiro nos EUA (aliás, ele gostou do meu blog, e fiquei lisonjeada). Ele trabalha como repórter em Washington, DC e compartilha a sua experiência pessoal no blog, além da sua visão dos dois países. Ele tem um "olho crítico" que acho legal, e tem a habilidade de observar outras culturas com perspicácia e respeito. Quando soube que ele iria voltar para o Brasil, e o motivo da volta, resolvi entrevistar ele para saber mais sobre seu tempo nos EUA e abrir um espaço para um jornalista corajoso e inteligente.

Quanto tempo você morou nos EUA?

Um ano e um mês. Eu ainda moro em Washington e devo regressar ao Brasil somente em fins de março.

Trabalhou como réporter internacional e blogueiro – qual foi sua matéria preferida?

Nos EUA, a cobertura da posse do Obama e do terremoto no Haiti foram dois trabalhos muito marcantes.

Ao final, qual foi a sua visão dos EUA?

Qualquer visão de país muda bastante quando vc passa a morar no país. Uma coisa é passear em algum lugar e outra coisa é viver ali. Neste sentido, a visão que se tem do país fica mais apurada, é possível entender melhor determinadas reações dos americanos, por exemplo, a fatos dentro e fora dos EUA. Continuo achando os EUA um país formidável e admirável, mas penso que agora percebo com mais clarezas os pontos fracos do país e de seu povo, extremamente polarizado entre progressistas e conservadores.

Como foi a experiência de trabalhar no exterior? Como foi em comparação com sua experiência na China?

Bem, nos EUA eu não tive a metade dos problemas que eu tive para trabalhar como jornalista na China, que é um país que não gosta de repórteres estrangeiros e cujo governo não se sente na obrigação de dar satisfação do que faz aos chineses (que dirá a jornalistas estrangeiros, ainda que isso venha melhorando com o tempo de forma bem irregular). Nos EUA, o problema que se enfrenta é a pouca importância que o Brasil tem para os americanos. As fontes adoram falar para a imprensa americana e européia, especialmente a inglesa, e muitos sequer respondem a pedidos de entrevista.

Leia a íntegra da entrevista aqui