Memory and representation of Brazilian journalism: the case of the postage stamp

Abstract

This paper discusses the form in which the postage stamp contributes to the construction of the Brazilian journalism representation. It takes into account for this purpose a conception of this artifact both as a media and as a semiotic text, and its close relationship with the press. The identified and analyzed sample consists of regular and commemorative postage stamps issued by the Brazilian General Post Office during the twentieth century. This work proposes to correlate a recurring theme with the Brazilian historical context, with regard to journalistic practices. As a conclusion, we consider that the visibility of journalism made possible through postage stamps not only points out the relevant people and their contributions to journalism practices, but also makes a clear association with the ideals of a journalism of outrage focused on great social causes.