Zanin wanted the Press Council to denounce the media – 06/07/2023 – Panel

Lawyer Cristiano Zanin, appointed to the Federal Supreme Court (STF) by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), defended the creation of a Press Council, whose function would be to receive and investigate complaints against media that have “unlawful conduct “.

The opinion is expressed in the book “Lawfare: an introduction” (Contracurrent publishing house), which Zanin published in 2019 in partnership with his wife, Valeska Teixeira, and lawyer Rafael Valim.

“Brazil, regrettably, is a fertile ground for the publication of false, slanderous and defamatory reports, since it has not established a Press Council or any other effective means to receive complaints regarding illegal conduct practiced by the communication vehicles. Therefore, due sanctions are not applied to those who make a living out of slander and defamation”, say the authors in an excerpt from the work.

The book is dedicated to the study of “lawfare”, a term that designates the use of laws for political disputes. Zanin was one of the main disseminators of the thesis in Brazil, during Lula’s defense process in Lava Jato.

The opinion about the press appears in an excerpt where the authors say how journalism can collaborate for lawfare, by disclosing facts in a partial and biased way.

The book cites as good examples countries that created bodies to deal with these harmful practices.

“Several countries, in favor of good press practices, created councils to receive and investigate denouncements of practices contrary to good journalism”, says the work, citing Ireland, Sweden, Holland, United Kingdom, Australia, India, Denmark and Finland.

The intention of creating a Federal Council of Journalism was announced by Lula in his first government, but ended up abandoned after a reaction from those who pointed out the risk of censorship. Several PT representatives continue to defend the measure, however.

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