The São Paulo court rejected a lawsuit filed by Pablo Marçal against Globo and journalist Natuza Nery, a presenter on GloboNews. The coach and former candidate for mayor of São Paulo was seeking compensation for moral damages, the right of reply, and the removal of reports that, according to him, had damaged his image by associating him with the dissemination of false information during the floods that hit Rio Grande do Sul in 2024.
The decision was handed down by Judge Paula Velloso Rodrigues Ferreri, of the 19th Civil Court of the Court of Justice of São Paulo (TJ-SP), who concluded that the questioned report merely reproduced information from an official investigation into the case.
The request for compensation was denied.
In the lawsuit, Pablo Marçal was seeking R$ 100 in damages, as well as a public retraction and airtime for a right of reply on GloboNews programming.
The judge, however, understood that there was no abuse on the part of the broadcaster or the journalist. According to the ruling, the content shown was limited to reporting facts of public interest related to the investigation conducted by authorities regarding the dissemination of false information during the climate tragedy in the south of the country.
According to the ruling, there was no evidence of any overstepping of the right to inform that would justify condemning the broadcaster or the presenter. This information comes from... Folha de S. Paul.
Origin of the controversy
The episode began in May 2024, when Rio Grande do Sul was facing one of the biggest climate tragedies in its history.
At the time, Pablo Marçal released videos on social media claiming that trucks loaded with donations destined for the victims were being prevented from continuing their journey due to a lack of invoices.
Later, a report broadcast by GloboNews presented information indicating that the aforementioned detentions were related to issues of vehicles being overweight, and not to tax documentation. The report also mentioned investigations into the circulation of information considered false regarding the situation.
press freedom
In analyzing the case, the judge highlighted the importance of freedom of the press and stated that the report followed journalistic parameters when addressing an ongoing official investigation.
In the ruling, the judge stated that the article impartially reported on the federal government's efforts to investigate the spread of fake news related to the floods.
She also noted that Pablo Marçal is a public figure, a circumstance that increases collective interest in his pronouncements and positions on issues of national importance.
The defense is appealing the decision.
According to information published by the column Outro Canal, in Folha de S.Paulo, Pablo Marçal's defense did not respond to contacts made by the reporter, but has already filed an appeal against the first instance decision.
Globo has stated that it does not comment on ongoing legal proceedings. Natuza Nery has not yet commented on the case.
With the appeal filed, the legal dispute may still be reviewed by higher courts.
The ruling concluded that the GloboNews report was protected by the right to information and freedom of the press, dismissing the claim that Pablo Marçal suffered moral damages.
Thus, the requests for compensation, public retraction, right of reply, and removal of journalistic content from the broadcaster's platforms were denied.
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