By: Quezia Salgado
The last 20 years have been marked by changes on many fronts, from the internet making its debut and becoming available to the general public, to animal cloning, and the onset of cable television in the 1980s, which eventually gave way to “cable news,” with a 24/7 news cycle. With the internet, came the creation of social media and its undeniable impact on the way news reaches audiences around the world. Although advocates for the ease of access to news through social media would support the elimination of printed newspapers and magazines, their importance and value is very present in local communities such as South Florida.
A clear example is that of local Brazilian newspaper Gazeta, which also had its inception 20 years ago. In fact, according to publisher, Zigomar Vuelma, the main reason behind the creation of the paper was specifically to meet the needs of the local community, “At that time we didn’t have a communications or news outlet for the Brazilian community in Broward; it was difficult in the beginning because we relied on newspapers from Brazil, so we could get the information out to the community.” Despite the initial struggles, Gazeta celebrates this year their 20th anniversary, now with a circulation of 15,000 papers distributed from Miami to Orlando. The team at Gazeta, under the leadership of Editor in Chief Fernanda Cirino, is composed of five journalists, a director of public relations and marketing, as well as freelance writers and columnists who contribute to the creation of the 62-pages weekly newspaper.
As the oldest Brazilian newspaper in Florida, Gazeta experiences increasing popularity in the community, with positive feedback from individuals who trust their ability to publish newsworthy stories, “Our job as a newspaper is to share stories of interest to the Brazilian community; stories they won’t be able to read anywhere else,” says Cirino. Over the years Gazeta has proven its resilience in the field, receiving several awards in recognition of their outstanding work, the most recent being the Brazilian International Press Award for newspapers that have been around for over 20 years. As an expression of their gratitude for the partnerships created over the years, commemorative plaques will be given to their clients, “The fact that they’ve worked with us for all these years shows the loyalty in our partnership, and I feel that should be honored,” emphasizes Vuelma.
After coming to the paper in 1999 Cirino took over the leadership of the newsroom, and now oversees all departments, from journalists, to freelancers, and columnists. Cirino remembers what the introduction of the internet meant to newspapers, “We had to restructure the paper completely; certain items we used to include in the paper became irrelevant because the public had access to them online.” Nonetheless, free internet access to worldwide news does not automatically eliminate the need for local newspapers, especially when they target a small percentage of the community.
Regardless of who the target audience is for a news vehicle, local newspapers have and will continue to prove the importance of the role they play in fostering a strong connection with the community. From one local paper to another, the Boca Raton Tribune congratulates Gazeta on 20 years of making the difference in the community, and hopes to follow their example of continuing to bring quality news to its faithful readers.