Writing Journalism History: The Press and Academia in Brazil

by Otávio Daros

Overview

This book examines the trajectory of the historical knowledge about journalism produced by its scholars in Brazil, from the early accounts originating from the Brazilian Historical and Geographic Institute in the 19th century to the specialized academic field at the turn of the 21st century.

The history of journalism historiography shows that during the Empire and the Old Republic, the press was idealized as a means of education and a form of mirror of events. After the New State, there was a tendency to view it as an instrument for manipulating public opinion and a suspicious documentary source in the eyes of historians. Finally, with the end of the Military Regime, and with the emergence of the area of communication studies, it came to be analyzed as an element of mediation of public debate and a space for sociability. Regarding this last phase, Daros argues that despite aspirations to subordinate journalism history to communication history, the field still lacks more significant historiographical undertakings beyond print media.

This volume is aimed at scholars of journalism studies and media history, the historiography of the press and journalism, the history of historiography, and Brazilian historiography.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032773896
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/26/2025
Series:	Routledge Studies in the History of the Americas
Pages:	254
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Otávio Daros is Postdoctoral Researcher and Collaborating Professor in the Postgraduate Program in Communication at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil. He is the author of the book Marxismo Cultural e Estudos de Mídia (2022) about the work of media theorist and educator Douglas Kellner.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction  Part 1: Overview of Historical Studies of the Press and Journalism in Brazil  2. The IHGB And the Beginnings of National Historiography (1846–1945)  3. The Transition to University Historiography (1945–1970)  4. The Institutionalization of the Field of Knowledge (1970–1995)  5. The Expansion of Research Horizons (1995–)  Part 2: Contemporary Case Studies and Leading Historians  6. The Early Journalists — Isabel Lustosa  7. The Modernization of The Media — Alzira Alves de Abreu  8. From Journalism to Communication — Marialva Barbosa  9. Final Considerations

Editorial Reviews

"Daros’s book is ambitious due to its scope, but his script was carefully and completely realized and implemented. We have in our hands an analysis that is always difficult to carry out: a critical history of historians. Taking into account that the author is still a young researcher, his comprehensive reading capacity and his perspective, both interpretative and evaluative, are positively surprising. Otávio Daros is not afraid to write what he thinks. Therefore, even when we may disagree with him, we have to respect and admire him. Due to the clarity with which he discusses, we can follow his reflective journey, identify his arguments and, from there, discuss them, which is excellent for advancing knowledge in the area."

Antonio Hohlfeldt, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

"At a good time comes Writing Journalism History: The Press and Academia in Brazil, by Otávio Daros, a monumental, original and, at times, polemic work, which sheds a powerful critical light on Brazilian historiographical production regarding the press and journalism and on its key authors, from the 19th century to the present. In addition to contributing to the consolidation of journalism and media history as a field of study, the author does a brilliant work of critical historiographical synthesis that will certainly serve as a model for future research, on an international dimension."

Jorge Pedro Sousa, Fernando Pessoa University, and the Communication Institute of NOVA University Lisbon, Portugal

"Wide-ranging research, which reviews the historiographical production on journalism in Brazil and acquires significant testimonial value, as it contributes to understanding the slow process of formation of a specialized field of studies. Breathtaking work, carried out with sensitivity and theoretical-methodological refinement."

Tania Regina de Luca, São Paulo State University, Brazil

 

From the Publisher