Let’s have a debate to regulate the media, says Lula

Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) once again defended this Wednesday (8) the need for media regulation in Brazil through a process that involves debates with private companies, journalists and sectors of society.

“We then need to be aware that we need to regulate. But who will regulate? It’s the people. I won’t be the one to regulate. This will have to be a debate in which you will participate, in which the guys from Globo, the guys from Record will participate. We don’t want regulation that interests the president. Regulation has to be of interest to Brazilian society,” he said in an interview with Minas Gerais radio station Itatiaia Vale do Aço.

The Lula government even prepared, at the end of its second term, a proposal to regulate the media, which was handed over to his successor, Dilma Rousseff, but ended up shelved without being discussed in Congress. In May, experts heard by CNN pointed out the fear of censorship with the proposal of the PT governments.

During Wednesday’s interview, the former president denied that a regulation in his eventual government could result in censorship.

“When people talk about censorship, if there’s a guy who can show how much has been censored in this country, it’s me. So, stop this nonsense. Nobody wants censorship. What we want is for the media to be effectively democratized,” she said.

The PT defended that media companies listen to “the opposition” and that they always have the “other side speaking”. “It cannot be a means of communication that speaks only one side. You cannot allow the internet, this digitized press, which is a new, fantastic thing, you cannot allow it to become a foundation for building lies. This is not good for society,” he said.

Lula also said he did not want to be “manipulated by a computer” and cited social networks, which have already been making agreements with the Electoral Justice to prevent the dissemination of disinformation during the 2022 elections.

“Instagram owner cannot do what he wants. He cannot be a relay of lies because he wants to make money. No sir. He has to take into account the culture of each country, he has to respect the laws of the country, and he cannot allow lies, untruths, rudeness, offenses, to be part of Brazilian culture. This is what has to be regulated,” he defended.

Debate

THE CNN will hold the first presidential debate of 2022. The clash between the candidates will be broadcast live on August 6, on TV and on our digital platforms.

*Published by Estêvão Bertoni, with information from Carolina Ferraz, from CNN