Groucho Marx School of Journalism

British premier Winston Churchill had a very peculiar way of treating the press: “There is no such thing as public opinion. There is only published opinion”. Brazilian mainstream media seems to have taken Churchill's words  very seriously. So much that the journalist and blogger Paulo Henrique Amorim coined a term to define its general attitude: PiG, an acronym for Partido da Imprensa Golpista — Party of the Coup-Plotting Mass Media.

The “coup-plotting” would be the boycott promoted by the Brazilian mainstream media against subjects that are not of their interest. Amorim explains in his site the reason for term: "In no serious democratic country in the world, conservative, low-quality and even sensationalistic newspapers and one single television network have as much power as they do in Brazil. They have become a political party — the PiG, Pro-coup Press Party". To Paulo Henrique Amorim, Brazilian press historically defends coup d'états attitudes whenever the Brazilian President is not elected from among the members of Brazilian elites — like President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Amorim identifies as the head of the “published opinion” the three families that control the three major members of the mainstream Brazilian media: Marinho (Roberto Marinho, Globo Organization), Mesquita (Julio de Mesquita, O Estado de S.Paulo) and Frias (Octávio Frias, Folha de S.Paulo). It's a fact that, together, these three families have the power to control and define what is and what isn't news in Brazil. Civita family, controller of Abril publisher, probably deserves an honorable mention too.

The members of PiG may have similar interests and methods but PiG should not be taken as an organized informal institution. An example of  how PiG can bite its own hand is the letter that Ali Kamel, journalism director of Globo Network, wrote to Folha de S.Paulo on 06/06. Kamel referred to an article published by the newspaper the day before that accused Globo Network of being complacent to Sérgio Cabral, governor of Rio de Janeiro:

Fernando de Barros e Silva, na coluna "Verde água" (Opinião, ontem), diz que "Sérgio Cabral surfa tranquilo, com o apoio de Lula e a simpatia da Rede Globo".Como o colunista não acompanha o jornalismo local da TV Globo no Rio, acredito que a afirmação seja fruto de falta de conhecimento ou de preconceito. A TV Globo do Rio cobre o governo Cabral da mesma forma que a Folha cobriu o governo Serra e outros. Assim como a Folha, a TV Globo é apartidária e busca a isenção em todas as suas coberturas.
ALI KAMEL, diretor da Central Globo de Jornalismo (Rio de Janeiro, RJ)

Fernando de Barros e Silva, in the article “Green Water” (Opinião, yesterday), claims that “Sérgio Cabral wanders calmly, with Lula’s support and Globo Network’s sympathy”. As the columnist does not follow Globo Network’s regional journalism in Rio [de Janeiro], I believe the affirmation is motivated by  lack of knowledge or prejudice. Globo Rio Network covers Cabral’s government in the same way as Folha has covered Serra’s and other’s administration. As Folha, Globo Network is nonpartisan and seeks exemption in all its journalistic coverage.
ALI KAMEL, director of Central Globo of Journalism (Rio de Janeiro, RJ)

At least they have a sense of humor. Maybe PiG learned their lessons on journalism from Groucho Marx:

I don't know what they have to say

It makes no difference anyway;

Whatever it is, I'm against it!