Learn about Brazilian journalists’ legal rights and limits in a new webinar in Portuguese

In this digital era of misinformation and changing journalistic roles, it becomes all the more important for journalists to understand how to navigate the complex legal landscape of civil liability, privacy rights, right of reply, source confidentiality and more.

To ensure journalists understand their rights–and responsibilities–, the Journalism Courses program from the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, in partnership with the Brazilian organization Tornavoz and with the support of Google, is pleased to offer a free webinar, “Como Blindar Suas Reportagens Contra Processos Judiciais” (“How to Shield Your Reports from Lawsuits”).

The hour-long Portuguese-language webinar focused on the Brazilian situation will run from 10-11 a.m. (Brasilia time) Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. Click here to find the time in your city. 

Register here for this free Zoom webinar. You will need a Zoom account to register, but if you don’t have one, creating an account is free, quick and easy. You will need to use the email you used to create your account to register for the webinar on Zoom. 

The webinar builds on the online course “Como blindar suas reportagens contra processos judiciais,” offered in 2023 by the Knight Center and Tornavoz in collaboration with Google, with the participation of hundreds of Brazilian journalists. Following the webinar the self-directed version of the course will be available.

During the webinar, lawyers Taís Gasparian and Mônica Galvão, experts in press freedom issues and co-founders of the Tornavoz Institute, will address essential aspects for good journalistic practices from a legal perspective, focusing on three fundamental issues:

1. Legal responsibilities of journalists and potential liabilities for the content they produce.
2. The legal implications of the timing of publications and the potential consequences for lawsuits
3. Criteria for determining compensations in cases of civil liability, which can significantly influence journalistic practice.

Gasparian, who has more than 30 years of experience in defending the rights to freedom of expression and press, said that “it is crucial that there be a broad discussion around the importance of these rights, as they are essential for the maintenance of democracy and the rule of law. A free and independent press acts as a counterweight to governmental power and safeguards the rights of citizens.”

Galvão, who is a lawyer specialized in cases of freedom of expression, said this webinar is “a unique opportunity to broaden the debate on the rights to freedom of expression and press. It is an open door to explore relevant aspects of rights that are so essential to our society.”

The webinar offers a platform for participants to interact with the Tornavoz co-founders, posing questions or engaging in discussions. 

Enhance your understanding of journalistic legal responsibilities and freedom of expression by joining us for this webinar! 

Register today to reserve your spot!