Brazilian Media Giant Globo Embraces Diversity, Faces “Woke” Criticism Amidst Evolving Entertainment Landscape
RIO DE JANEIRO — As Globo, the largest media conglomerate in Latin America, celebrates its 60th anniversary, the Brazilian network is undergoing a meaningful transformation, placing diversity at the forefront of its programming and internal structure. this shift,spearheaded by Amauri Soares,the executive Director of TV Globo and Globo studios,has seen a surge in Black lead characters across all prime-time soap operas (“novelas”),a production in wich white actors are a minority for the first time,and the development of new Black screenwriters poised to become lead authors of future productions.
This move marks a dramatic turn for a company that, early in its history, controversially used blackface in a primetime drama, casting a white actor, Sérgio Cardoso, as the Black protagonist in “A Cabana do Pai Tomás” (1969). later, the network woudl also face criticism for casting Giovanna Antonelli in a “Japanese” family (“Sol Nascente,” 2016) and portraying a predominantly white Bahia (“Segundo Sol,” 2018).Soares, 58, has become the face of this transformation. Earlier this month,at a press conference,Soares introduced himself as “a brown man,” explaining,”I declare myself pardo because my father was a Black man from Bahia. My grandmother was a Black woman from Bahia. A single mother,a migrant.My mother is very white, a descendant of Italians. I connect with my roots, you know?”
In an exclusive interview, Soares addressed concerns about a potential rollback of diversity initiatives, inspired by recent trends in the United States. “The globo is not going to change. The Globo is going to continue being the Globo. We are changing a lot of things so that the Globo continues being the Globo,” he stated, emphasizing that Globo will maintain its diversity goals, as detailed in its upcoming ESG report, which indicates that 63% of senior leadership positions are held by women.
“Diversity is the greatest innovation” for Globo today, according to Soares. He believes that new writers, faces, and narratives are essential for the evolution of the “telenovela” format. “Diversity brings new creators, new experiences, new stories. so, through the construction of diversity in creation, we are having a greater diversity of ideas, projects, synopses. This is a great innovation for the telenovela format,” he elaborated.
However, Globo’s increased focus on diversity has not been without its critics. Some accuse the network of becoming overly “woke” and beholden to identity politics. Soares dismissed these claims, asserting that the network is simply evolving to keep pace with society.
“The Globo is not going to change. The Globo is going to continue being the Globo. We are changing a lot of things so that the Globo continues being the Globo,” he saeid.
Facing Criticism and Defending New Directions
The network has faced scrutiny for casting decisions.Take the current remake of “Vale Tudo”. actress Bella Campos was criticized online before her debut, with some claiming she was not equal to Gloria Pires in the original 1988 version.Soares speculated about the role of racism in these judgements,stating,”I wondered if she were white,if this would exist. I can’t tell you, but this rush to judge is part of the dynamics of the networks, right? Good thing at least people saw and recognized, wrote apologizing.”
He also praised actress Taís Araujo’s performance in the remake, suggesting its the best of Araujo’s career. “It’s hard to compare, but I followed several days in the studio, went to see, talked to taís and said: ‘It’s Taís as we’ve never seen her.’ I have no doubt, it’s being the best performance of Taís’s career. It is indeed another performance, it is another actress of another generation.” The head of Globo also noted that the original actress, Regina Duarte, sent in supportive messages.
Internal Structure and the Role of Diversity Initiatives
Since 2022, Globo Studios has had a Diversity and innovation division. Soares clarified its role, stating, “I don’t know of another studio that has a diversity board directly linked to the studio’s management. the Diversity and Innovation area is a support and consulting body for creators. It does not work with casting. the artistic direction is always the author, the director, the genre director.”
The division is available to support creators in developing characters and narratives that involve diversity. He emphasized the importance of authentic representation, explaining, “If the author writes a Black character, that character needs to have the characteristics, the experience of a Black character, the pains and the delights of being black. The diversity area helps the creator in this, to have this complexity, to have all these layers. This Black character has a Black family, the dynamics, the experience of a Black family. The Diversity area supports this.”
He also clarified that having a diverse team behind the camera is as vital as the representation on screen. “If the author writes a Black character, I need a Black actor to play that role. The scenes of a Black family will be better constructed in thier details, nuances, rhythm, speeches, if the director is Black. So it doesn’t help to just have the meta. It is indeed a process that involves everyone. Today we have Black authors, black directors…” he declared.
navigating Quotas and Authentic Representation
Soares addressed the question of quotas, clarifying, “In other areas, we have goals. At TV Globo, we have been working with diversity goals for some years, which will even be published in the ESG report at the end of this month. There are specific goals for hiring people from under-represented groups in all areas: creation, production, management. And we are doing very well with these goals.”
Though, he stressed that content creation requires a more nuanced approach. With writers and directors, “it has to be processual, systemic and it has to be a great collaboration of all areas of creation.” as a notable example, while there aren’t quotas for the number of Black actors in a novela, Soares said, “it has to have representation, reflect the country that is watching us, and this is a commitment of the creators.”
Globo is also investing in developing indigenous writers and directors. “We have indigenous authors who are working on different projects. We have already made a product, which was the Indigenous Speeches, totally created by indigenous authors, and we are doing the second one now, in which indigenous authors are in the writers’ room,” Soares said.
While the network doesn’t monitor screen time by ethnicity, they do consider who is a “protagonist, who is a supporting character, you have an idea of how much each one will occupy on the screen. it doesn’t do to cast a large number of Black actors to only make secondary characters. Or to make villain.”
Defending Creative Vision
Soares also defended the novela “Garota do Momento” from criticisms that it shows racism but doesn’t discuss it enough.”I think it’s unfair to the novela, because Garota do Momento is one of the most important inflections we made in this movement, because it’s a period soap opera, it puts at the center of this period plot, in the 1950s in Brazil, a Black character and a whole roll of Black characters built, in a space that in the 1950s would certainly not be occupied by a black woman.” According to Soares, “this character, being Black, brings up aspects of racism that the soap opera has been showing and that the soap opera addresses and will return to address at certain moments.”
Diversity as Innovation
When asked if Globo fears that diversity may bring backlash, in the mold that American media companies are experiencing, Soares replied that “We are a Brazilian company, we make Brazilian content for Brazil, so trends and changes in direction of the American industry do not dialogue with what we do here.” instead, he stated, “I consider diversity the greatest innovation of creation today. Because diversity brings new creators,brings creators with new experiences,new experiences lead to new stories.”
Looking to the future, Soares expressed optimism that diversity will continue to enrich Globo’s content. “A Black author had life experiences different from a white author. And these new life experiences reflect in the way he creates, in the stories he wants to create, and this is already enriching the portfolio.”
Addressing Concerns About “Wokeness”
Soares addressed the criticism that Globo has become too “woke.” “There is a concern if the Globo is going to change. And I say, in truth: I think this concern reflects something very positive, which is the bond that people have with the Globo.There is respect, there is affection, there is a bond with the contents of the Globo, there is this bond of Brazilian society with the Globo, and this sometimes reflects in a fear that the Globo will change,” he said.
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GloboS Diversity Drive: An Exclusive Interview with Chief Content Officer, Ricardo Oliveira
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RIO DE JANEIRO – Archyde News recently sat down with Ricardo Oliveira, Globo’s Chief Content Officer, to discuss the media giant’s commitment to diversity, the challenges it faces, and its vision for the future of Brazilian television. Oliveira, known for championing innovative approaches to storytelling, offered invaluable insights into Globo’s evolving landscape.
Embracing a new Era of Storytelling
Archyde: Mr. Oliveira,globo is celebrating its 60th anniversary amidst significant changes,particularly with its focus on diversity. Can you elaborate on the driving forces behind this transformation?
Ricardo Oliveira: “Absolutely. We are committed to reflecting the true face of Brazil. It’s not just a matter of meeting quotas but of portraying the richness and complexity of our society authentically. Our audience deserves stories that resonate with their experiences,and that requires diverse voices both in front of and behind the camera.”
Archyde: You’ve stated that diversity is the greatest innovation for Globo. Why is that?
Ricardo Oliveira: “Diversity brings new creators, new experiences which, by turn, build new stories. Through the process of creating diversity, we are making a greater diversity of ideas, projects and synopses which is a great innovation for the format of the Telenovela”
Archyde: The network has faced accusations of being “woke.” How does Globo respond to that type of criticism?
Ricardo Oliveira:“We understand that these concerns stem from a deep connection peopel have with our network. They value the content we create, and we want them to think that way.Diversity is not a trend for us; it’s a essential value that enriches our stories and makes them more relevant for our present, and for the future that awaits us all.”
Archyde: “Vale tudo” remake, actress Bella Campos, before debuting some internet users spoke of underperformance in the role. How do you cope with this?
Ricardo Oliveira: “This is part of the dynamics of the networks, right? I wondered if she were white, if this would exist. Also, Taís Araujo’s performance in the remake is the best of Araujo’s career.”
Behind the Scenes: Diversity in Structure
Archyde: Globo Studios created a Diversity and Innovation division. What role does this division play within the company,and how does it support creators?
Ricardo Oliveira: “Our Diversity and Innovation area serves as a support system for our creators. It offers guidance and resources to ensure that diverse characters and narratives are developed authentically. The Diversity area supports this idea. If the author writes a black character, that character needs to have the characteristics, the experience of a Black character, the pains and the delights of being black. This division helps the creator in this, to have this complexity, to have all these layers. The Diversity area supports this idea to assure there is a Black family, and the dynamics.”
Archyde: Diversity also requires diverse professionals, correct?
Ricardo Oliveira: “If the author writes a Black character, I need a Black actor to play that role. The scenes of a Black family will be better constructed in their details, nuances, rhythm, speeches, if the director is Black. So it doesn’t help to just have the meta. Today we have Black authors, black directors…”.
The Road Ahead
Archyde: Looking ahead, what are Globo’s priorities regarding diversity, and where do you see the network in the next decade?
Ricardo Oliveira: “We have specific goals for hiring people from under-represented groups in all areas: creation, production, and management, and we are doing well with these goals”. Also,we are investing in developing indigenous writers and directors. We think that the key is the process: it has to be processual,systemic,and it has to be a great collaboration of all areas of creation. Diversity will not only bring new authors, but new stories.”
Archyde:there has been some criticism of “Garota do Momento” for either showing racism or not discussing it enough. What are your thoughts?
Ricardo Oliveira: “I think it’s unfair to the novela, because Garota do Momento is one of the most important inflections we made in this movement, because it’s a period soap opera, it puts at the center of this period plot, in the 1950s in Brazil, a Black character and a whole roll of Black characters built, in a space that in the 1950s would certainly not be occupied by a black woman.”
Archyde:Do you have any final thoughts for our readers?
Ricardo Oliveira: “I am optimistic that diversity will continue to enrich Globo’s content. A Black author had life experiences different from a white author. And these new life experiences reflect in the way he creates, in the stories he wants to create, and this is already enriching the portfolio.”
Archyde: Thank you, Mr. Oliveira,for your time and insights.
Ricardo Oliveira: “Thank you for having me.”
question for our readers: In your opinion, how important is diversity in media, and what impact do you believe responsible depiction has on viewers?