{"id":82880,"date":"2026-03-11T09:19:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T12:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82880"},"modified":"2026-03-13T12:43:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T15:43:29","slug":"in-print-and-online-fala-roca-is-a-comprehensive-tool-for-full-citizenship-in-rocinha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=82880","title":{"rendered":"In Print and Online, \u2018Fala Ro\u00e7a\u2019 Newspaper Is a Comprehensive Tool for Citizenship in Rocinha, Brazil’s Largest Favela"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"In<\/a>
Over a decade, Fala Ro\u00e7a has offered a wide range of journalism training and still refuses to give up its print edition, a core part of its identity.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/strong><\/i><\/em><\/i><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Check out our complete\u00a0series of community media profiles here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Founded in 2013, <\/span>Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/span><\/i><\/a> is a community media outlet based in <\/span>Rocinha<\/span><\/a>, in Rio de Janeiro\u2019s <\/span>South Zone<\/span><\/a>. Its mission is to meet the many needs of <\/span>Brazil\u2019s largest favela<\/span><\/a>. Through diverse initiatives, the outlet fosters integration within Rocinha\u2014no small feat given the neighborhood\u2019s vastness and high resident turnover. Over its 13 years, <\/span>Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/span><\/i> has built an important legacy by strengthening connections, promoting community improvements and citizenship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The first members of the <\/span>Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/span><\/i> team. From left to right: Beatriz Calado, Michel Silva and Michele Silva. Photo: Personal archive<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/span><\/i> was officially launched following a training program offered by the <\/span>Ag\u00eancia de Redes para Juventude<\/span><\/i><\/a>, which <\/span>supports and empowers youth-led projects<\/span><\/a> in Rio de Janeiro. Among them was the fledgling <\/span>Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/span><\/i>, which received seed funding to help take off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Its first edition, released on May 13, 2013, was published solely in print\u2014a format still used today alongside its website and social media platforms\u2014as a deliberate effort to democratize access to news, according to executive producer Osvaldo Lopes. Not everyone in the favela is digitally literate or has digital devices.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s extremely important because part of the population still isn\u2019t online. When we talk about Rocinha, we\u2019re talking about a community where many people are semi-literate or illiterate. So when we focus too heavily on digital, we end up excluding people who not only don\u2019t know how to use technology, but even if they do, may not know how to properly consume that kind of news. Sometimes we need to read the newspaper to a resident to truly reach them. Someone might live at the very top of Rocinha and have no idea what\u2019s happening down below, or they may only watch TV, and Rocinha only appears on TV when there\u2019s a shootout. When a paper like Fala Ro\u00e7a arrives with positive stories about what\u2019s happening in the community, people are often surprised. That\u2019s why we strongly believe print journalism isn\u2019t going to die.\u201d \u2014 Osvaldo Lopes<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

From Farmland to Favela: Rocinha\u2019s History<\/h3>\n

The newspaper\u2019s name reflects a reclaiming of community memory. Long before it became the densely populated neighborhood it is today, filled with shops and buildings, the area was a vast and steep agricultural region known as the Quebra Cangalha Farm, owned by the Portuguese Castro Guid\u00e3o brothers, according to the Rocinha Cultural Map<\/a>. A fun fact about the region’s history is that it was once full of wooden yokes, called \u201ccangalhas,\u201d that broke easily (thus the name \u201cquebra cangalha\u201d) during animal transport.<\/p>\n

Beginning in the 1930s, however, the farmland was subdivided under directives from the federal government, encouraging people from various regions to settle there and gradually shaping the favela as it exists today.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough the Castro Guid\u00e3o company sold some land plots, it went bankrupt in 1938. Many residents did not pay off their debts, and people began occupying the company\u2019s plots, claiming the land had no owner. The paving of Estrada da G\u00e1vea (G\u00e1vea Road) further contributed to the occupation of the hillside.\u201d \u2013 Excerpt from the Rocinha Cultural Map<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"S\u00e3o<\/a>
S\u00e3o Conrado and Pedra da G\u00e1vea, from the angle of today\u2019s Lagoa-Barra Expressway. Photo: Augusto Malta, 1924. Photo: IMS Archive\/Reproduction<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2015, Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/em> was recognized as Cultural Heritage of the City of Rio de Janeiro<\/a> through the \u201cLocal Actions\u201d call for proposals, part of the city\u2019s 450th anniversary celebrations. That same year, it launched the Rocinha Cultural Map, cataloging over 150 cultural initiatives within the community. The project helped connect local cultural activities with residents and strengthen collaboration across Rocinha.<\/p>\n

\"Fala<\/a>
Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/em> develops a series of projects, including the Rocinha Cultural Map, which maps community-based actions and initiatives. Photo: Rocinha Cultural Map\/Reproduction<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Tool for Grassroots Oversight, from Residents, for Residents<\/h3>\n

Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/span><\/i> also plays an important role in holding public authorities accountable. <\/span>In one investigation<\/span><\/a> during the <\/span>Covid-19<\/span><\/a> pandemic, the outlet <\/span>questioned the appropriateness of installing a CT scanner<\/span><\/a> in an evangelical church in the community. The report gained enough visibility that the equipment was eventually relocated to Rocinha\u2019s Emergency Care Unit (UPA).<\/span><\/p>\n

Around the same time, <\/span>another report<\/span><\/a> exposing <\/span>vaccine shortages<\/span><\/a> in the community led to the delivery of second doses, helping protect thousands of families from infection.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Fala<\/a>
Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/span><\/i> denounces the lack of vaccines in the community during the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo: Reproduction<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

More recently, Fala Ro\u00e7a<\/em> hosted the 3rd Conference on Favela and Peripheral Journalism<\/a>, in partnership with Ag\u00eancia Mural<\/a>. It was the first edition to bring together nearly 60 community media outlets from across Brazil.<\/p>\n

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Um post compartilhado por Fala Ro\u00e7a (@jornalfalaroca)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n