🇧🇷 Folha de S.Paulo

About Folha de S.Paulo

Folha de S.Paulo was founded in 1921 by Olival Costa and Pedro Cunha. It is currently owned by the Frias family through Grupo Folha, a private media conglomerate that also controls Universo Online (UOL), the polling institute Datafolha, and other ventures. In 2019, government and state-owned company funds accounted for 2% of the company's total revenue, indicating financial independence from the government.

Folha de S.Paulo is considered a newspaper of record in Brazil, emphasizing editorial principles of pluralism, non-partisanship, critical journalism, and independence. It was the first Brazilian media outlet to establish an ombudsman position to ensure quality and address reader complaints. However, the outlet has faced criticism, including accusations of 'false impartiality' and, in 2016, 'journalistic fraud' by The Intercept for allegedly distorting polling data. In 2022, it experienced an 'unprecedented crisis' over alleged 'recurring publication of racist content,' which led to an open letter from its journalists. The Bolsonaro administration publicly attacked the newspaper, excluding it from government bids and recommending against its purchase. The headline sample reflects a broad focus on Brazilian politics, covering various parties and government institutions.