Promoting debates on the role of public broadcasters today, creating bridges for sharing innovation strategies in favor of education and democracy, and valuing plurality with sustainability and the public interest. These are just some of the goals of the 1st International Congress of Public Broadcasters, which will be promoted by the University of São Paulo’s Office of Social Communication (SCS) on May 21 and 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin, Rua da Biblioteca, 21, University Town, in São Paulo. The event, supported by Rádio e TV Cultura and Rede Universitária de Rádios Brasileiras (Rubra), will bring together public broadcasters from various countries and feature five thematic tables, two colloquia and a section dedicated to the presentation of academic papers each day. The congress is free, offers a certificate of participation, and is open to the public. To participate, simply fill out the registration form. Places are limited. The complete scheduling is available on the congress website.
It is coordinated by Eugênio Bucci, professor at the School of Communications and Arts (ECA-USP) and Director of Social Communication at USP, and organized by Verônica Poli from SCS, and ECA doctoral student Gislene Nogueira, who present the program O Universo das Emissoras Públicas, which airs on Rádio USP São Paulo (93.7 MHz) and Rádio USP Ribeirão Preto (107.9 MHz). Professors Luciano Maluly and Vitor Blotta from ECA’s Department of Journalism and Publishing (CJE) will provide academic support. “The international congress will be a valuable opportunity to raise the bar in the debate on public communication in Brazil, with the participation of professionals from the main public service organizations in the world,” Gislene Nogueira says.
A necessary debate
Representatives of public broadcasters from at least nine countries, from nations in the Global North, such as Germany, France, Spain, England, Portugal, and the United States, to neighboring Chile and Uruguay and Lusophone Africa, Angola, and Mozambique, will participate in the thematic tables. For Gislene, this plural debate could even be important for Brazil in reviewing its relationship with the public media. “Many of these countries have public radio and television organizations that operate independently of the government and the market. In Brazil, choosing a predominantly commercial radio broadcasting model has taken the population out of the discussion about relevant and independent public broadcasters,” she comments. The discussion to which she refers will be present at the thematic tables.
On the first day, there are two – “The contributions and strategies of public broadcasters to face the landscape of disinformation and promote democracy” and “Funding, a pillar of independence: the landscape and difficulties in securing resources for public broadcasters”. On the second, three – “The new challenges for public broadcasters’ operation in the digital world”, “Public or state-owned companies?: idealism versus pragmatism in Latin America and Africa” and “The paths of dialogue with society: public participation and quality indicators”. There are 21 guests from around the world, including mediators and debaters. “The congress will bring the richness of the exchanges that will take place from the discussions, from the debates, from each dialog between broadcasters, managers, researchers, students, and professionals,” said Norma Meireles, president of Rubra, to Jornal da USP.
The event will also host two colloquia – both on the first day: Challenges in South America and Africa, which will be attended by representatives from Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Angola, and Mozambique, and The Challenges of University Radio Broadcasting in Brazil and Latin America – Rede de Rádios Universitárias do Brasil (Rubra), Rádio Internacional Universitária (RIU) and Rádio USP, with the participation of members of Rubra, Rádio Internacional Universitária (RIU) and Rádio USP. In addition to the discussions already proposed by the congress, which should be covered by the second colloquium, the idea with the first is to establish and strengthen ties between Brazil and Lusophone Africa, allowing content rebroadcasting between the countries and promoting greater social and cultural integration between them.
Working groups
There will also be presentations of academic papers over the two days, which will be divided into five thematic groups: Public Communication (strategies for facing disinformation, maintaining editorial independence and promoting a democratic culture), Artificial Intelligence (ethical issues and impacts on society, culture and democracy), Journalism (credibility, conflicts of interest, the fake news epidemic, how to criticize power in public broadcasters), Social Media and Digital Platforms (the public interest in spaces controlled by economic power) and Art or Entertainment? (how can cultural information be conveyed beyond the parameters established in the commercial broadcaster market). Expanded abstracts of the academic paper in question must be submitted using a form in order to participate. Submissions can be made until April 6, while acceptances will be given until the 25th of the same month. Given all these spaces for discussion, Gislene reiterates that “the congress will allow us to learn a little about the history of these organizations in the world and also update us on the main issues currently being debated by these institutions.”
The 1st International Congress of Public Broadcasters takes place on May 21 and 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Biblioteca Brasiliana Guita e José Mindlin, at Rua da Biblioteca, 21, University Town, in São Paulo. Admission is free and entitles a certificate of participation upon registration using the link. Limited places. The online form must be filled out by April 6 and accepted by April 25 in order to register the academic papers for the thematic groups. The complete scheduling is available on the congress website. For more information and questions, e-mail emissoraspublicas@usp.br.
*Intern under the supervision of Marcello Rollemberg
English version: Nexus Traduções
