"The Association of Foreign Correspondents plays the valuable role of advocating for our interests"

Pedro Moreira is a Brazilian journalist based in New York City since February 2020. He is a freelance foreign correspondent in the United States for CNN Brasil and the Brazilian newspaper O Globo. A native speaker of Portuguese, Pedro has more than ten years of experience as a television reporter. He has Postgraduate work with a specialized degree in Human Rights and Ethnic-Social Issues and a Bachelor's degree in Journalism. Before moving to New York, Pedro had lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, between 2017 and 2020. There, among other freelance jobs, he worked as the correspondent to the Middle East for Brazilian cable network GloboNews, the most-watched news channel in Brazil. In his home country, Pedro Moreira had worked as a national correspondent for TV Brasil, the Brazilian public broadcast network, reporting from the capital, Brasilia, for five years.

How and why did you decide to work as a Brazilian foreign correspondent in the US? 

 Let's say that life brought me here and I am glad it did. I had worked as a national correspondent in Brazil for 7 years before moving abroad. But even before that, my passion for other cultures had always made me dream about living abroad. 

Pedro Moreira

 When I became a journalist, this dream was incorporated into my future career plans. I do not know if it is the same in other places, but in Brazil, reporting from other countries is an evolutionary step in a journalist's journey. That dream came true when my spouse was relocated to work abroad, and I could take advantage of this situation.

First, we lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, between 2017 and 2020. There, I was able to work as a foreign correspondent to the Middle East for some Brazilian news outlets, notably the newspaper O Globo and GloboNews Network, the main news channel in Brazil, both linked to Grupo Globo, the largest media conglomerate in Latin America. 

Among the many topics I covered, I highlight two Israeli parliamentary elections in less than six months. I also covered the latest developments in the ongoing conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians. 

Finally, in February last year, we were relocated again, this time, to NYC. As soon as we arrived, I contacted various Brazilian media outlets, making myself available to report from the US. 

At that moment, the coronavirus pandemic was starting, disrupting everybody’s lives and business. The uncertainty about the future did not help, Brazilian companies were worried about the financial situation, and I could not find a position.

Then, in January 2021, I started working as a freelance correspondent to CNN Brasil, a Brazilian media Corporation licensed by CNN International to operate under that brand in Brazil, which started operating last year. A few months later, I also managed to pitch some stories to O Globo again, as I used to do in Israel. Since then, I have been contributing to both outlets.

Although I can say that the unpredictable paths of life brought me here sooner than I expected, I am sure that my background was essential for me to get where I am nowadays.

What lessons have you learned over the years of working as a foreign correspondent? 

One of the most important lessons I have learned is the extreme importance of being sensible and respectful to diverse cultures and realities that we are in touch with, explaining its characteristics to the audience in my home country without prejudice, bias, or bigotry whatsoever.

In addition to that, I often work by myself, which is a huge challenge. But it is also an amazing opportunity for learning so many different things and improving many skills. Especially when you work for more than one kind of media, which is my case. I write for online news and also report for TV, covering featured stories and live broadcasting on ongoing events. 

Since I have started working as a foreign correspondent, in Israel, I have performed as a producer and reporter, searching for sources, arranging meetings, recording interviews, and video footage, etc. I learned to address technical issues that often arise in live streaming too. It feels like you are faced with all challenges related to journalism, but more intensely, because you are in a new and unknown environment.

Which is the most important part of your work as a US-based foreign journalist? 

I believe one of the most important tasks is to contextualize for the Brazilian public the stories that I cover in the US. In other words, to explain why that topic that we are addressing is so important, not only for the American people but also for the rest of the world, including Brazil.

Because of the importance of the United States, all eyes are on it, which is good because it is usually easier to be given some space in the Brazilian news feed. But, at the same time, we have the arduous task of filtering the information that we are going to offer to our newsroom, always trying to find the balance between public interest and attractiveness. 

I also like to think that foreign correspondents can provide a unique look at the events taking place abroad. Even in a world that is connected in real-time and where the media companies can access all kinds of information from the various international news agencies. It is incomparable, my colleagues in Brazil are much less exposed to and aware of the events in the US than I am. Being immersed in the local reality and, at the same time, having a foreign look at the issues that are engaging the American public opinion give international correspondents the best opportunity to find good stories to tell.

What do you consider to be the most challenging aspect of your job? 

The editorial approach is exceptionally tricky therefore one of the most important roles of foreign correspondents the necessity of finding the best perspective in a manner that can, at the same time, attract the audience in our home countries, but also have influence in their lives. Sometimes, because we are involved with the news here in the US, we might be led to think that something that we find interesting will be appealing or important to our viewers as well, but this is not always the case. 

I also would mention the need of keeping constantly updated on the numerous stories that are portrayed in US domestic coverage.

Pedro Moreira

Most of my work is reporting on the big stories that are followed by the majority of news media outlets. But I need to provide exclusive content to my editors in Brazil too. I need to find stories that have not been told to the Brazilian public. And, in case some relevant story has been told, I must find a unique angle, an exclusive approach, a source, a character or community that had a role or was affected but has not been heard by major agencies yet.

As a Brazilian journalist who works in the US, how do you view the current situation in Brazil?

Brazil is facing one of the darkest moments in its political history, notably regarding the national government. Just as we have seen happen recently in many parts of the world, including the US, a far-right ruler was put in power. During the last elections, in 2018, Brazilians were angry with politicians, with so many corruption scandals that were uncovered in the years before, with the economic crisis that has been hit the country since 2014. And Mr. Jair Bolsonaro made an angry speech that made sense for the majority of the voters. 

But it did not take too long to realize that the new government was not able to deal with many challenges that Brazil faces. Bolsonaro kept focused on his cultural war, targeting progressive ideas, minorities, attacking the other branch powers, while the main structural problems were left untouched. 

Bolsonaro has been very harmful to the media too. He refuses to be interviewed by traditional outlets, attacks journalists that try to ask uncomfortable questions, and incites his followers against media professionals and media companies.

Things have gotten worse since the pandemic hit. The central government has  underestimated the severity of the disease, focused on the economic impact of social isolation, and has attacked the measures of shutdown implemented by local governments.

Bolsonaro and many of his staff helped to spread fake news on the origin of the virus and the prevention and treatment of Covid-19. The Ministry of Health delayed the purchase of vaccines and bet on ineffective actions, such as the purchase and distribution of drugs that are proven to be useless against the disease, or worse, that can harm those who take it. 

The president took a special deplorable role being insensitive to the dead and their families and making jokes about the sick ones, accusing them of being weak. He even imitated a person suffocating during a live stream on his social media profile.

As a result, Brazil has the second-highest total number of deaths by Covid-19 in the world, with more than 610,000 casualties.

Only after the Brazilian Congress started investigating did the federal government change part of its approach. The legislative inquiry resulted in the formal accusation of approximately 70 people, including Bolsonaro himself, other politicians, administration staff, and even business people who supported Bolsonaro and/or profited from health supplies contracts with the government. 

Today, half of the 213 million Brazilians suffer from some degree of food insecurity. About 20 million Brazilians declare that they spend 24 hours or more without having to eat. Food prices, the main group of products consumed by the poorest, food, have risen by 40% since the beginning of the pandemic.

The country has more than 13 million unemployed; the Brazilian currency - the Real - is one of the most devalued in the world; inflation in October was the highest in 26 years.

But I am an optimist. Nowadays, we can say that Brazilians do not recognize themselves in Bolsonaro. Fortunately, we are going to have a new election next year. And public opinion polls show that Bolsonaro's approval rates are extremely low and, if the elections were held today, he would not be able to get re-elected.

Did your work as a foreign correspondent in the US impact the perspective you had about America? 

It certainly did! For the good and the bad. To mention only two topics, I would say that I realized that many Americans are more outgoing and warmer than I expected. Brazilians love to talk about how extroverted we are and how foreigners - particularly Americans and Europeans - can be reserved. 

Another thing is that I was able to better understand the social inequalities that exist in the world's largest economy. When I grew up in Brazil, our media used to talk only good things about the United States - how rich and developed the country was. Of course, I had learned before moving abroad that every country has its problems but living here gives me a unique opportunity to understand it better.

Can you offer any advice to aspiring foreign correspondents from around the world who wish to work in the United States? 

Journalists must be open-minded in any field. Of course, we can have our ideologies and worldviews. But to tell good stories, with fairness and ethics, being balanced, and helping to solve injustices and inequalities, we cannot have preconceived beliefs about people, facts, or events. 

And this is even more important when we are foreign correspondents because we are always dealing with different realities when it is quite easy to be driven by our prejudices.

This applies to the work in the United States as it would anywhere else. Having a good grasp of the country's history and current situation helps a lot too, for sure. 

Having a strong background as a journalist, in general, would also help any aspiring foreign correspondent. I see the position as a step forward in a more experienced professional's career. It would not be impeditive to a beginner, but it certainly would be harder, considering the many roles that we often have to play, just like I mentioned before. Usually, we must act as our own producer, photographer, videographer, editor, and so on.

What are your thoughts about the role of the Association and Club of Foreign Press Correspondents in the United States?

In any career, field, or profession, moving abroad is challenging. We have to insert ourselves in a new country, usually a profoundly different environment, with different practices and cultures. It would be much more difficult to navigate the new scenery on our own. 

There is nothing better than a safety net that we can count on to take the first steps. Organizations like the Association and Club of Foreign Press Correspondents provide the means to a smoother landing. 

The Association plays the valuable role of advocating for our interests and helps us to connect to new people that can help us work and live better in our new home.