Beyond correction

democratic implications of press ombudsman’s criticism from newspapers Correio da Paraíba, Folha de S. Paulo and O Povo in 1995 and 2019

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the journalistic criticism produced by the press ombudsman and its relationship with democracy. Brazilian journalistic criticism was investigated in ombudsmen’s articles in two different periods – 1995 and 2019, in newspapers considered referential on a local and national scale: Correio da Paraíba, Folha de S. Paulo and O Povo. Content Analysis (Bardin, 2011), aided by the Iramuteq software, makes up the methodology. The theoretical foundation includes the Theory of Press Criticism (Wyatt, 2007) and the models of democracy and their normative implications for journalism outlined by Jesper Strömbäck (2005). Among other characteristics presented, it is concluded that, predominantly, news vehicles and ombudsmen have a different view of democratic models in journalism and the criticism rarely reaches the deliberative ideal proposed by Wyatt (2007).