Daniele Alves Lopes was a Brazilian teenager who jumped to her death from the Centro Comercial Presidente building in São Paulo's central business district.[1] She was 16 years old. The suicide was filmed by a Brazilian news show, Aqui Agora, and shown on SBT. This broadcast led to a surge in ratings, and a national conversation about the sensationalized, violent and amoral nature of that news show.[2]
 Daniele, as recorded by Aqui Agora | |
| Date | July 5, 1993 |
|---|---|
| Location | República, São Paulo, Brazil |
| Type | Suicide by jumping |
Death
editOn 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 she was contemplating her fate, police and a news crew arrived and started filming. The events were filmed until after the girl jumped, but the scene was cut before she reached the ground.[3][4]
When the unedited footage was shown on Brazilian national television, it caused a spike in ratings. Lopes' youth and broken heart may have romanticized and contributed to the interest in the incident.[3]
Aftermath
editThe Brazilian psychiatrist Jacob Pinheiro Goldberg was a prominent critical voice of the broadcast, stating it may cause a societal desensitization effect,[5] and psychoanalyst Jurandir Freire Costa referred to the media as vultures. Other communication experts were also critical.[3]
In 1994, the Alves Lopes family reached a R$ 1.05 million settlement with SBT for moral damage.[6]
References
edit- ^ "TV exibe suicídio de garota no centro". Folha de S.Paulo. 1993-07-06. p. 1.
- ^ Brooke, J. (1993). "In Sao Paulo, The TV News in Real Time". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c De Castro (2014). "Em 1993, Aqui Agora exibiu suicídio de adolescente e chocou o Brasil". Televisao.
- ^ "Aqui Agora era seleção brasileira de repórteres, relembra Gil Gomes - Últimas Notícias - UOL TV e Famosos". UOL TV e Famosos (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2016-05-25.
- ^ "Network Criticized for Televising Teen-age Girl's Suicide". AP. 1993.
- ^ DA Reportagem Local (1994). "SBT é condenado a pagar R$ 1 mi a familia de menina que se matou". Folha De S. Paulo.