Established in 2007, the Brazil Communication Company (Empresa Brasil de Comunicação, or EBC) has a portfolio encompassing the TV Brasil channel, a nationwide radio network boasting seven stations—FM Nacional, Brasília Nacional, Rio de Janeiro Nacional, Amazônia Nacional, Alto Solimões Nacional, MEC FM, and MEC AM—and two news agencies, namely Agência Brasil and Radioagência Nacional. EBC offers a broad spectrum of programming, spanning news, documentaries, sports coverage, educational shows, cultural pieces, and religious content. Notably, TV Brasil broadcasts the Catholic Mass each Sunday, catering to viewers of faith.
Media assets
Television: TV Brasil, Canal Gov
Radio: Rádio Nacional FM, Nacional de Brasilia, Nacional do Rio de Janeiro, Nacional da Amazonia, Nacional do Alto Solimoes, MEC FM Rio de Janeiro, MEC AM Rio de Janeiro
News agency: Agência Brasil, Radioagencia Nacional
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
The EBC was founded as a state-owned entity under Law 11.562 of 2017, functioning under the aegis of the Secretariat of Social Communication within the Presidential Office. As stipulated in Article 12 of the legislation, EBC’s governance framework features several key entities, with the most notable being the Board of Directors and the Executive Board.
Both bodies consist of members primarily handpicked by the government, with final appointments determined by the Presidency. The top executive, the Director-President, is selected via a presidential decree, with the most recent appointment taking place in December 2023 when President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva names Jean Lima as head of the EBC.
The Board of Directors is composed of two advisors alongside four staff representatives, all directly selected by the Presidential Office. The Executive Board, under the leadership of the Director-President and the Director-General—both appointed by the presidency—may also include up to six directors, whose appointments and dismissals fall under the purview of the Board of Directors. While the Director-President enjoys a mandate of four years (extendable through renewals), the remaining directors serve three-year terms with the possibility of one renewal.
Tasked with driving the company forward, the Executive Board’s core duties include steering, overseeing, and synchronizing the organization’s operations, as well as formulating the company’s strategic institutional plans. Acting as the engine of the corporation, this board ensures cohesive collaboration with the Board of Directors. Significantly, the presence of the Director-President on both governing bodies aims to streamline communication and sustain synergy.
Lastly, the Financial Council—a supervisory body consisting of three members appointed by government ministries—takes charge of examining and monitoring EBC’s financial stewardship with a sharp eye on prudence and accountability.
Source of funding and budget
According to legislation, the EBC’s financial resources must stem from budgetary appropriations, the sale of services to public or private entities (such as the distribution and licensing of content), sponsorship agreements, and charitable contributions. Additionally, state advertising airtime is capped at 15% of the EBC’s overall programming schedule, ensuring a limit to such promotions.
The EBC primarily relies on state funding, which is delivered through direct budget allocations, revenue from government advertising, and payments for services rendered to various state bodies. In 2023, the EBC budget reached BRL 840.9m (approximately US$ 173m), with most of this funding coming from government coffers. In 2024, the budget increased to BRL 898.9m (US$ 146m), according to government data.
Editorial independence
The government’s selection of EBC’s governing bodies grants it considerable sway over the outlet’s editorial direction. While the organization does employ a handful of independent journalists renowned for their incisive reporting, the editorial policies of EBC’s platforms are steered largely by government-appointed executives. This influence has been particularly conspicuous especially in the broadcaster’s coverage of former President Jair Bolsonaro.
An ad hoc content analysis conducted for this report in 2020, which zeroed in on articles about Bolsonaro by Agência Brasil—a key outlet of the EBC—unveiled a decidedly favorable slant toward the president and his initiatives. Numerous pieces lavished praise on Bolsonaro’s focus on tackling the nation’s challenges, a narrative often seen in media aligned with state or populist agendas. Remarkably, not a single instance of criticism or adverse commentary about the president or his actions surfaced within EBC’s platforms throughout 2020.
In 2021, local organizations released anonymous testimonies compiled by EBC employees, shedding light on 161 instances of censorship spanning from August 2020 to July 2021, as documented by the Public Media Alliance.
As the push for the institution’s privatization gained momentum, consistent reports surfaced of escalating censorship and targeted persecution. Independent analysts had long foreseen such developments, particularly after President Bolsonaro ramped up funding for public broadcasting to bolster his bid for reelection in 2022. In various accounts, EBC earned notoriety for being labeled the “mouthpiece of the state.”
By autumn 2022, an internal report authored by EBC staff painted a grim picture of widespread censorship and intimidation. Allegations included journalistic suppression, arbitrary reshuffling of roles, and even instances of harassment akin to bullying tactics.
In July 2023, EBC unveiled its newest venture, Canal Gov, a dedicated government channel designed to showcase programs that spotlight the activities and initiatives of the Brazilian government. This strategic move signaled a shift in responsibilities, with EBC’s flagship station, TV Brasil, expected to step away from covering government-affiliated content. The initiative aimed to ease the mounting pressures on TV Brasil from political authorities.
The October 2022 reelection of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was met with lofty expectations, particularly following his campaign pledges to protect the editorial independence of EBC’s channels. Yet, despite such assurances, the perception persists that the broadcaster remains beholden to the government. Journalists and Brazilian media experts, interviewed for a report in May 2024, voiced growing concern over what they described as EBC’s intensified focus on covering government bodies — a trend at odds with the president’s earlier commitments. Instances of censorship within the company, especially at the EBC-operated news agency, continued to come to light publicly in 2024.
Operating under the framework of legislation initially established in 2008 and subsequently revamped in 2017 (Law 11.652), EBC is mandated to prioritize “pluralism” in its programming. Moreover, its internal statute serves as a guiding compass for the company’s operations. However, the latest iteration of this document, approved in 2020, falls short of enshrining any guarantees regarding the broadcaster’s editorial independence. Supplemental internal guidelines focus largely on the administrative mechanisms of the corporation but do little to address concerns about journalistic autonomy.
EBC boasts a Code of Ethics that sets forth the guiding principles for its journalistic integrity, outlining the professional conduct standards all its reporters are expected to uphold. Additionally, the organization employs an Ombudsman, whose chief responsibility lies in collecting and channeling audience feedback — whether in the form of grievances or criticisms — back to EBC’s leadership.
The company entrusts its Programming Committee with the task of fostering and advocating for active citizen participation in EBC’s operations. This consultative body comprises 22 members: six appointed by the government, one representative from each chamber of parliament, one selected by EBC staff, and the remaining 15 nominated by various civil society organizations. While the committee holds no binding authority, its role is instrumental in reviewing EBC’s content and offering recommendations to the organization’s journalists and management team, contributing to the enrichment of its programming framework.
March 2025