Public or state owned? The Brazilian Company of Communications (EBC) in the context of the democratization of the media in Brazil

Abstract

Abstract In 2007, President Luiz Inácio ‘Lula’ da Silva founded the Brazilian Company of Communications (Empresa Brasil de Comunicação – EBC), sparking a debate around the concept of public service broadcasting in the country: is the EBC truly public or is it state owned? And, more importantly, how can it contribute to the democratization of communication in Brazil? Supported by the company’s own publicly available documents, as well as studies of the Brazilian legislation, I offer an answer to the question posed above by analysing the EBC in light of three analytical categories: programming and national mission; organizational structure and level of autonomy; and editorial independence. These categories were developed based on reputable international sources and focusing on diverse aspects, ranging from the editorial line to the administrative structure. With this article, I hope to give my own contribution to the important discussion around the nature of public service broadcasting in developing democratic countries like Brazil, where other models than the ones known in Europe for public service broadcasting are being implemented or changed to fit these countries’ specific realities.