Journalist Ebrahim Ramadan, editor for 18 years of Notícias Populares, dies

Ebrahim Ramadan, who served as editor for the influential Brazilian newspaper Notícias Populares (NP) for nearly two decades, died Wednesday in São Paulo at the age of 91. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Ramadan took the helm at Notícias Populares in 1972, at the invitation of Octavio Frias de Oliveira, then publisher of Grupo Folha. He had previously worked at Folha, Folha da Tarde, and Jornal do Brasil. His time at Folha da Tarde, where he wrote under the pseudonym Luiz Lima, garnered significant reader attention, leading to a petition when he stopped writing his chronicles. This popularity caught Frias de Oliveira's eye, leading to the invitation to lead NP.

At NP, Ramadan reorganized the editorial line, boosting sales through columns featuring diverse personalities, from spiritualist Chico Xavier to future president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who was then a union leader. The newspaper became known for its pluralism, giving voice to segments of society previously unheard in other publications. A notable example was the 1975 "Bebê-Diabo" (Devil Baby) series, which covered the birth of a baby with unusual physical characteristics, generating headlines for days and becoming a sales phenomenon.

Colleagues remember Ramadan as a "master and professor," deeply knowledgeable in classical literature and philosophy, and possessing a humanistic perspective in journalism. He taught popular journalism with "complicity and respect for readers," transforming complex economic language into something "palatable for the people," according to police reporter Antonio Marcos Soldera. Ramadan also championed inclusivity, with NP featuring a column called "Espaço Gay" (Gay Space). Maria Sueli Castilho, his secretary for 16 years, recalled his calm demeanor, classical music playing in the newsroom, and the strong coffee, describing him as a "good man" who left a positive mark on his friends and Brazilian journalism.