Journalists and intellectuals in the origins of the Brazilian press (1808—22)

Abstract

Brazilian journalism, at its onset in the 19th century, was an activity mainly associated with the colonial aristocracy, the Catholic Church and the intellectual elite. As a result, this heritage led to an almost complete blurring of the distinction between journalists and intellectuals, especially in the early years of the consolidation of the Brazilian journalistic field. Intense debate — not always polite or moderate — was the basis of the newspapers circulating in the country at that time. This tradition still feeds the perception of journalists as intellectuals to the present time although journalistic activity is becoming increasingly technical. The aim of this article is to dissect the origins of this perception by reviewing the production of two pioneer journalists, Hipólito José da Costa and José da Silva Lisboa, who were instrumental in establishing the argumentative practice of the Brazilian fourth estate.