This document summarizes research on online journalism in Brazil. It provides statistics on internet usage in Brazil, showing that most Brazilians access the internet from home or work. While dial-up connections are still most common, broadband usage is growing. The majority of Brazilians use the internet to check email, do personal research, and read news. Major international portals like Google and Yahoo compete with Brazilian portals for audiences. The document also discusses the history and development of online journalism in Brazil, including the rise of blogs and participatory journalism. It profiles some prominent Brazilian online news organizations and television channels and considers the future of convergence between different digital media in Brazil.

1. 7th International Symposium
on Online Journalism, 2006
The University of Texas at Austin
School of Journalism

2. International Perspectives on Online Journalism
Paula Jung
Doctoral Candidate, Pontifícia Universidade Católica, Rio Grande do
Sul and Associate Professor at Feevale, Brazil
Online Journalism in Brazil

3. Behavior of Brazilians on the Internet
 32 million Internet users (March, 2006);
 13.2 million active users (February, 2006);
 Brazilians spent on average of 18 hours on the
internet (February,2006);
 Web Portals, Search Engines and Communities
have the biggest reach among domestic
Brazilians users: 88.7%.
IBOPE/NetRatings

4. Home: 54 %
Work: 31%
School, University: 14%
Internet café:3%
TGI 2005
 21.2 million people have computers
with internet access at home;
 Despite being a new communication
medium, the Internet has become very
popular: 45% of users are daily users.
Where Brazilians surf on the net:
Behavior of Brazilians on the Internet

5. Behavior of Brazilians on the Internet
Type of connection
67%
32%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Dial Up BroadBand
Dialup connection is
still the most used in
Brazil because of the
low cost;
TGI 2005
IBOPE//NetRatings
 Active broadband
users from home:
1.5 million 2002
7.4 million 2005.

6. Behavior of Brazilians on the Internet
What Brazilians do on the Internet
Send and receive
e-mails
71%
Personal
Research
61%
Read news
(national)
46%
Read news
(international)
39%
Read online
newspapers
36%
TGI 2005

7. Behavior of Brazilians on the Internet
 The number of Brazilian readers of online news
increases every year:
 The growth was 26% larger than the growth of
Internet connections itself;
 News sites correspond to 55.9% of the internet
universe;
 The news, including the portals, had an increase of
24.4% in twelve months.
2006 6.7 million
2005 5.3 million
Folha Online

8. Brazilian online journalism:a brief history
 1995 – online journalism starts with the arrival of
Jornal do Brasil;
 1996 - 100.000 users, creation of UOL,BOL, Zaz (Terra)
- news web portals;
 1998 - 1 million Internet users;
 1999 - 2.2 million Internet users;
 2000 – broadband emerges;
 2000 - IG launches the first free supplier of access;
 2002 - 30 million Internet users,
 2002 - wireless connections;
www.ig.com.br

9. Internet Advertising
 The advertising investment of the main portals
has grown in the last years, but it is below of
the period known as the "bubble" (1999-2000),
when thousands of dollars were spent to get
the attention of Internet users;
 2005 shows an increase;
 That is equivalent to 1.7% of the total of the
investment advertising market in the country.
Brazilian online journalism
IBOPE/NetRatings

10. Brazilian online journalism:access
 In Brazil we pay for access (dial up or
broadband) and we should choose the supplier
of content;
 The history of Brazilian Internet is associated
with partnerships between phone companies
and national groups of media;
 $$$ = The concentration of Brazilian Internet is
shared among the media groups, foreign
phone companies and multinationals;

11. International web portals
www.msn.com.br
www.google.com.br
www.yahoo.com.br

12. International web portals:competition
Unique
Audience
(000)
Web
Page views
(000)
Time per
person
hh:mm:ss
Google 9074 7773236 3:38:53
MSN 8758 846693 0:36:01
UOL ***** 8054 1232990 1:15:11
Terra **** 6664 556231 0:40:28
Yahoo 5792 482077 0:33:35
IG *** 5663 277536 0:25:20
Globo ** 5504 289856 0:27:52
Ranking
(January 2006)
IBOPE/NetRatings

13. Universo Online
 UOL is the biggest content portal and paid Internet
service provider in Latin America;
 More than 7 million visitors per month.
 Folha Online
Free access

14. Blogging
 In 2005, it was the time of blogs;
 Interactive media;
 Tool for the online newspapers;

15. Ricardo Noblat’s Blog
 This blog is considered an example, mainly in politics;
 A recognized journalist for his work in print
newspapers;
 Estadão;
 This blog was mentioned several times;
 Interaction ;
 Reputation;
 Opinion leader

16.  In the Estadão (online newspaper), there is a section
called PhotoReporter in which citizens can send
photos to the newsroom through cellphones, digital
cameras and other devices;
 One of the first Brazilian relationships on the Internet
between traditional media and participative journalism.
Participative Journalism

17. Some considerations
 Brazil’s online journalism is a work in progress;
 Multimedia has a long way to go;
 Media convergence;
 Three national examples of Brazilian television that are
produced specifically for internet broadcast;
 Broadcast video news in real time, available 24 hours a
day live and on-demand;
 These three channels are creating their own content,
 Gives the public more news options;
 Regionalized and local coverage.

18. Internet and TV
Paid access
Free access
Free access

19. TV UOL
 The portal UOL has TV UOL, specially created to
produce and broadcast videos on the Internet;
 UOL NEWS, is a journalism channel, interactive;
It is anchored by journalist Lillian Witte Fibe;
 Brings daily news and analytical bulletins in real
time;
 It also broadcasts live and on demand the content
of BandNews and BandSports (open TV).

20. Jornal do Terra
 Free to audience;
 Three daily bulletins;
 8 hours live and also on demand;
 Corporate audience;
 Distributes 20 stories a day;
 Agility with digital cameras;
 Freelancers circulate material.

21. www.alltv.com.br
 “The first television especially for the Internet”
 The language follows a different concept;
 On air during 24 hours, live and on demand;
 Interaction process through webcam;
 Small video monitor;
 Quality: video and sound;
 Live bulletins by web reporters;
 The purpose is to be global, not local.

22. Things to think about:
 The web portals -main entrances - online
media;
 Headline - main page;
 Breaking news;
 “Balance when doing the headline: public
interest and interest of the public are not the
same”;
 The news coverage is very similar in some
cases in Brazilian online journalism.

23. Interactivity – blogs - online newspapers;
Digital TV;
Broadband;
The online news depends on the facts - big
coverages - elections, World Cup and wars;
2006 - Digital Cup - sport news - presidential
election;
Convergence between cell phones and online
journalism (online newspaper, TV and
podcasting);
In Brazil we have 80 million cell phones.
Perspectives: Brazilian online journalism