Daniele Alves Lopes

Daniele Alves Lopes was a Brazilian teenager who jumped to her death from an office building in São Paulo's central business district. She was 16 years old. The suicide was filmed in its completion by a Brazilian news show, Aqui Agora (Here Now) and shown on the SBT network. This broadcast lead to skyrocketing ratings, and a national conversation about the sensationalized, violent and amoral nature of that news show.[1]

Death

On July 5, 1993, Daniele Lopes, despondent from a recent romantic break-up, climbed out on a 7th story parapet of an office building where she worked as a receptionist. While contemplating her fate, police and a news crew arrived and started filming. The events were filmed until right after the girl jumped, but the scene was cut before she reached the ground.[2][3]

When the spontaneous and unedited footage was shown on Brazilian national television, it caused a huge spike in ratings. Lopes' youth and broken heart may have romanticized and contributed to the interest in the incident.[2]

An edited version of the suicide was also shown on American television, with commentary.

Aftermath

The Brazilian psychiatrist Jacob Pinheiro Goldberg was a prominent critical voice of the broadcast, stating it may cause a societal desensitization effect,[4] and psychoanalyst Jurandir Freire Costa referred to the media as vultures. Other communication experts were also critical.[2]

In 1994, the Alves Lopes family reached a 1.05 million dollar settlement with SBT network for moral damage.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Brooke, J. (1993). "In Sao Paulo, The TV News in Real Time". The New York Times.
  2. 1 2 3 De Castro (2014). "Em 1993, Aqui Agora exibiu suicídio de adolescente e chocou o Brasil". Televisao.
  3. ↑ "Aqui Agora era seleção brasileira de repórteres, relembra Gil Gomes - Últimas Notícias - UOL TV e Famosos". UOL TV e Famosos (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2016-05-25.
  4. ↑ "Network Criticized for Televising Teen-age Girl's Suicide". AP. 1993.
  5. ↑ DA Reportagem Local (1994). "SBT é condenado a pagar R$ 1 mi a familia de menina que se matou". Folha De S. Paulo.
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