Journalist Marta Avancini, a staff writer at Jeduca (Association of Education Journalists), is the guest on the second episode of Conexão Bett in 2024. During the conversation, Marta discussed the role of journalism in education and the impact of news coverage on students in the classroom, particularly news stories covering violent attacks at schools.

She explained how the guide for the press on covering school massacres—produced by JEDUCA last year following the incident at Raul Brasil State School in Suzano (SP)—was developed. The guide aims to highlight to journalists, based on research and studies, the role of the media in the dissemination and replication of this type of event.

The journalist also pointed out that research on school violence has advanced significantly over the past year in Brazil, which provides an opportunity for journalists to delve deeper into stories about these events and follow their developments beyond the incident itself.

“I believe that Brazilian studies and international experiences can help the media develop story ideas based on existing evidence. That way, we can create stories that go beyond the logic of one-off events or occasions—those frightening things that move us but then fade away. The media has a responsibility to follow up on and explore issues in greater depth—issues that, in fact, pertain to school life,” said Marta.

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Further emphasizing the importance of journalism in this type of coverage, Marta reflected on regulations for social media aimed at curbing the proliferation of extremist and hateful content on digital platforms. She argued that regulations are necessary as general guidelines we need as a society, but noted that regulation alone is not enough. “We also need to encourage people to think—that’s why journalism is so important, with coverage that follows up, delves deeper, analyzes, revisits, monitors, and so on,” the journalist emphasized.

She believes that when covering an attack on a school, journalists must broaden their perspective to move beyond superficial reporting—which merely seeks to provide a generic profile of those responsible—and points out that it is necessary to explore issues of coexistence and the school’s internal dynamics, going far beyond external factors.

In closing, the journalist shared her hopes for the future of education journalism. “I hope that education journalism grows stronger and that we’re able to produce content that inspires people—each in their own way, with their own values and perceptions, based on their history and perspective—to take ownership of education and make it not just a personal cause—‘I’m going to study because I want to, I don’t know, get ahead in life’—but also because it’s important for society, for the world, and for the planet,” Marta concluded.

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The talk show is yet another forum for dialogue at Bett Brasil, featuring various experts who offer a different perspective on the most relevant and current topics in the education sector. Turn on notifications on your favorite platform to be notified whenever a new episode is available.

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