Ronaldo Matos

Ronaldo is reinventing journalistic production and distribution in the suburbs and favelas by using technology to promote anti-racist media literacy in Brazil.

Journalist, researcher, and educational communicator Ronaldo Matos faces the challenge of working in a hyperconnected world that remains marked by low levels of digital and media literacy among impoverished populations in Brazil. He recognizes that the central issue lies not only in access to information but also in the ability to understand it, analyze it critically, and use it effectively. His work highlights the importance of reducing digital and informational inequalities that shape the information‑consumption habits of low‑income communities, so that the benefits of technology applied to journalism and media literacy extend beyond simply understanding digital platforms. His approach seeks to promote the development of digital skills, expand social mobility, strengthen equity and economic growth, and contribute to a more robust democracy.

Ronaldo adopts a thoughtful and deliberate approach to innovative media empowerment and digital literacy in communities historically neglected by both public authorities and the journalism ecosystem in Brazil. His projects complement and reinforce one another to confront the urgent challenge of informational inequality in marginalized neighborhoods lacking adequate public policies. They integrate anti‑racist media literacy and solutions journalism - which reports from marginalized neighborhoods and favelas to highlight local responses to social problems - with the goal of strengthening news‑consumption habits among these populations and empowering communities long overlooked by local government.

Through anti‑racist media literacy, Ronaldo addresses the historical erasure of marginalized neighborhoods and favelas, the underrepresentation of Black and marginalized communities in journalism, ethnic‑racial stereotypes, the distance between low‑income communities and news of public interest, and mistrust in journalism and democracy. He transforms local development culture and community knowledge into a platform for reimagining how to confront inequality in access to information, with a focus on Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and other historically underrepresented groups. Through the use of solutions journalism, he not only educates the public about media consumption but also highlights practical responses to socio‑environmental issues faced by communities, helping to build networks of local agents of change.

A central innovation in Ronaldo’s strategy is the use of digital totems (autonomous electronic panels) combined with AI‑integrated news‑distribution software to combat misinformation. This initiative enables the circulation of reliable and relevant news tailored to specific communities. This approach ensures that marginalized neighborhoods with limited access to the internet and local news receive personalized and meaningful content on social issues and civic participation, supporting more informed decision‑making and, consequently, strengthening civic engagement. Ronaldo’s proposal connects two fundamental elements: journalistic production originating from marginalized neighborhoods and the provision of accessible information to broad audiences through strategically positioned community totems. It is a practical, innovative, and direct approach with significant potential to transform how Brazil’s most vulnerable communities consume and engage with the news.

Looking ahead, Ronaldo plans to expand and scale his initiatives to reach more communities across Brazil. Ultimately, his work not only transforms the media ecosystem but also advocates for public‑policy changes that support more inclusive communication practices. By addressing systemic issues affecting communities historically neglected by public authorities, his initiatives contribute to building a more equitable and well‑informed society in Brazil.

Information inequality in Brazil cannot be understood merely as an issue of internet access or the availability of digital technologies. It is a structural phenomenon that combines historical inequalities of income, race, territory, education, and cultural representation with contemporary transformations in the information ecosystem, which is now deeply mediated by digital platforms and algorithms. In this context, Black, peripheral, Indigenous, Quilombola, and LGBTQIAPN+ populations are among the groups most impacted by a set of barriers that limit access to news of public interest, the ability to critically interpret information, and full participation in the digital public sphere.

One of the most visible aspects of this inequality is the existence of vast areas of the country without consistent news coverage. The so‑called “near‑news deserts” in Brazil are municipalities that have only one or two local news outlets and are therefore at high risk of becoming full news deserts - territories without any structured journalistic coverage. In 2025, the number of near‑deserts reached 1,808 municipalities, while about 2,504 cities were already classified as news deserts, according to data from the Atlas da Notícia. This reality reveals a profound concentration of journalistic infrastructure in regions with greater economic and demographic dynamism, leaving large territories on the margins of the systematic production of information of public interest.

This dynamic is also reproduced within Brazil’s major cities. In the country’s favelas, where around 16.4 million people live according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), there is not only frequently precarious digital infrastructure, which hinders stable access to the internet and digital news platforms, but also a lack of a consolidated ecosystem of community media outlets.

The initiatives that do operate in these territories face structural challenges related to sustainability and long‑term presence due to the absence of public policies that support their work. At the same time, these local journalism organizations persist and resist precisely because there are no small, medium, or large media companies truly committed to informing the population in these areas. The newsrooms of major media companies remain concentrated in urban centers with greater economic power and tend to travel into these territories only in specific situations, often related to events considered exceptional or of momentary interest to traditional editorial agendas.

In the face of this structural problem, independent media outlets and media‑literacy organizations have come to play a key role in the production and circulation of information in peripheral territories and favelas. These initiatives operate collectively and remain closely connected to local needs, seeking not only to inform but also to educate the population through media and information literacy processes and the strengthening of community‑based content production practices. In many cases, these actors become the main - or only - sources of public‑interest information available to residents. Still, their work faces significant limitations stemming from a scarcity of financial, technological, and institutional resources, which restricts the capacity of these initiatives to expand and remain sustainable over time.

This territorial landscape of news and information deserts is intertwined with deep inequalities in access to and use of digital technologies. According to data from the 2023 ICT Households Survey, conducted by Cetic.br, Brazil exhibits a stark scenario of digital inequality. Around 92 million Black and Brown people—who represent the majority of the Brazilian population and are, to a large extent, low‑income women—depend exclusively on mobile phones to access the internet. Exclusively mobile access, often associated with limited data plans and unstable connections, significantly restricts the possibilities for browsing, content creation, and fact‑checking.

Furthermore, only 37% of this population report verifying the accuracy of the information they consume on digital platforms. In absolute terms, this means that more than 50 million socially excluded people are potentially more vulnerable to misinformation and fake news. This vulnerability should not be interpreted as the result of a supposed lack of interest or individual responsibility, but rather as a direct consequence of an unequal information environment, in which access to media‑literacy education and fact‑checking tools is not distributed equitably.

The problem becomes even more complex when one considers the growing disengagement of segments of the population from professional journalism. According to the 2024 Digital News Report, produced by the Reuters Institute, the proportion of Brazilians who say they avoid the news has reached 47%. The same study indicates that 51% of the population uses social media as their main source of information. This shift in information consumption toward environments dominated by digital platforms profoundly alters the logic of news circulation, since access to information becomes mediated by algorithms that prioritize content with the greatest potential for engagement, rather than content with the greatest public relevance.

Generational shifts further reinforce this trend. According to the report Information Inequalities: Understanding Brazilians’ Information Pathways on the Internet, published in 2024 by Aláfia Lab, people aged 25 to 34 show an even greater preference for social media as their primary source of information: 61.3% of this age group say they primarily get their news from these platforms, while direct access to news portals is becoming increasingly rare. This change in information habits contributes to the strengthening of fragmented digital environments, in which different social groups consume distinct content, often organized by algorithmic “bubbles.”

The lack of comprehensive public policies on media and information literacy exacerbates this scenario. In Brazil, there are still no national policies capable of universalizing the right to media and information literacy for the population. As a result, most citizens must independently develop the skills needed to critically interpret digital content, identify reliable sources, and understand how information circulates on digital platforms.

The effects of this gap become evident when one analyzes the results of international studies. A report released in 2024 by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ranked Brazil last among 21 countries evaluated in terms of the ability to identify fake news. The study, titled Truth Quest, used a gamified methodology with more than 40,000 participants to measure users’ ability to distinguish true content from manipulated information. The results indicate that, in the Brazilian context, there is a high level of trust in content received through social media, which facilitates the large‑scale circulation of misinformation.

This link between information inequality and vulnerability to misinformation has direct implications for the functioning of democracy. Unequal access to quality information limits citizens’ ability to participate in well‑informed public debates, evaluate public policies, and fully exercise their democratic rights. Studies by the OECD itself indicate that difficulty in distinguishing the veracity of news represents a significant risk to informed citizenship and the stability of democratic institutions.

At the same time, research by the Reuters Institute shows that distrust of traditional journalism is not evenly distributed across society. Among Black populations in major Brazilian urban centers, such as Salvador and São Paulo, this distrust is often associated with racial underrepresentation in newsrooms and with media coverage that reproduces stereotypes or criminalizing narratives. The absence of Black journalists in prominent positions contributes to the construction of narratives that do not fully reflect the experiences and perspectives of these communities, fueling skepticism among Black audiences living in the peripheries and favelas regarding the truthfulness and legitimacy of the news produced by major media outlets.

Younger generations are particularly affected by this combination of structural inequalities. Without adequate access to the internet and without the skills needed to navigate the digital environment critically, many young people remain excluded from educational, professional, and civic opportunities that have become central in contemporary society. This informational exclusion limits not only individual development but also the collective capacity of these communities to participate actively in public life.

The elderly population is also among the groups most vulnerable to misinformation. According to data from the PNAD Education survey, only 59% of Brazilians aged 60 or older use the internet, while approximately 16% of this population is illiterate. This combination of educational limitations and restricted access to digital technologies increases this group’s exposure to scams, misleading content, and disinformation campaigns. Furthermore, the circulation of false information can compromise access to reliable public‑health guidance, as seen during COVID‑19 vaccination campaigns, in which the spread of rumors contributed to lower uptake among part of the population.

The structure of the current digital ecosystem also plays a decisive role in exacerbating these inequalities. Digital platforms, controlled primarily by large global technology companies, concentrate unprecedented power over the distribution of information. These environments not only mediate access to news but also influence professional opportunities, public services, and forms of social interaction. The algorithms used by these platforms tend to prioritize sensationalist or polarizing content, capable of generating greater engagement, while reducing the visibility of independent journalism and critical narratives.This economic model also has a direct impact on the sustainability of journalism. By monopolizing digital advertising and appropriating journalistic content without robust financial‑compensation mechanisms, platforms reduce the revenue available to media organizations, especially local and independent outlets. As a result, already marginalized communities face even greater difficulties in building diverse and sustainable information ecosystems.

Beyond its political and economic impacts, digital transformation also has profound cultural dimensions. The growing influence of global algorithms in shaping the digital experiences of younger generations may contribute to the weakening of traditional cultural practices. In peripheral territories, where access to digital content often occurs through platforms dominated by large international corporations, local cultural references may be progressively overshadowed by global patterns of information consumption and entertainment. Given this scenario, it is essential to promote a shift in the communication model that values the knowledge, narratives, and experiences of Black, Indigenous, Quilombola, and LGBTQIAPN+ communities. Building a more regenerative and inclusive media ecosystem necessarily involves strengthening community‑based communication initiatives, expanding public policies on media and information literacy, and creating digital infrastructures that enable the production and circulation of content of public interest across different territories of the country.

Addressing information inequalities, therefore, requires a combination of structural strategies. These include developing public policies aimed at universalizing media and digital literacy, strengthening public‑interest journalism in marginalized territories, and promoting technologies that expand communities’ informational autonomy. These measures are essential for building a more equitable digital ecosystem in which different social groups can fully participate in society’s informational life.

In this context, initiatives that combine journalism training, media literacy, and the promotion of cultural identity play a strategic role. Social technologies designed to train content creators and information‑integrity advocates can help strengthen local capacities for the production and circulation of knowledge, linking journalistic practice to the appreciation of local territories, cultural heritage, and the lived experiences of historically marginalized communities. At the same time, the advancement of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, introduces new layers of inequality into the information ecosystem. Data from the 2025 ICT Households Survey indicate that around 50 million Brazilians already use artificial‑intelligence agents. However, access to these tools is deeply unequal. Among individuals in Class A, 69% already use generative‑AI tools, while in Classes D and E this percentage drops to 16%. The difference is also evident in terms of education level: 59% of people with a college education use these technologies, compared with only 17% among those with only a primary‑school education.

This contrast highlights a recurring structural pattern in the history of digital technologies in Brazil: the higher the income and level of education, the greater the ability to access and appropriate new tools. The more vulnerable an individual’s social position, the fewer opportunities they have to use these technologies for educational, professional, or informational purposes. Among students, for example, 86% report using artificial‑intelligence tools for research and academic work, while among those who do not use the technology, the main barrier cited is a lack of skills to operate it - a reason mentioned by 65% of respondents with lower levels of education.

Therefore, information inequality in Brazil cannot be analyzed in isolation from other forms of social exclusion. It manifests itself in the unequal distribution of journalistic infrastructure, unequal access to digital technologies, the absence of public policies on media and information literacy, and the concentration of power in digital platforms, which jeopardize the right to communication and information enshrined in Article 5 of the Federal Constitution. At the same time, its effects disproportionately impact historically marginalized populations, widening existing gaps between different social groups in terms of access to knowledge, democratic participation, and development opportunities. Only through structural public policies and the strengthening of community‑based communication initiatives will it be possible to build a truly pluralistic, inclusive, and democratic information environment.

Ronaldo’s work is paving the way for a more equitable and inclusive future in Brazil’s suburbs and favelas through media literacy, journalism focused on socio-environmental solutions, and local technological innovation aimed at improving news consumption habits and empowering the populations of these areas.

Their efforts began with the journalism school “Você Repórter na Periferia” (You Are a Reporter in the Outskirts), created for young people aged 16 to 25 who have completed or are currently enrolled in high school or their first year of college. The training combines theoretical modules and practical workshops on journalistic writing, photography, video reporting, interview techniques, social media production, and experiential learning with communicators and cultural leaders. The program also includes a productive inclusion module that offers practical immersion in the outskirts and favelas of São Paulo to generate work and income for the young journalists who graduate. Many participants go on to pursue careers in media and communication, often enrolling in undergraduate programs in journalism or related fields, and some join the Desenrola e Não Me Enrola team - half of the current team began their careers this way.

The articles written by the students are published by Desenrola e Não Me Enrola, which began in 2013 as a blog and established itself as a news portal in 2017. With this transformation, its editorial focus expanded to cover not only cultural activities but also the complexities of living and working on the outskirts of São Paulo. Currently, the platform receives over 20,000 monthly visits from digital platform users, featuring content produced by young people on topics relevant to their communities. Using software and hardware from Território da Notícia, the journalistic content produced by the young communicators of Você Repórter da Periferia reaches over 100,000 people per month without relying on social media.

Desenrola e Não Me Enrola focuses its efforts on combating informational inequalities - such as information deserts, media illiteracy, and the digital divide - which fuel new manifestations of racism in the daily lives of residents in the outskirts and favelas, using solutions journalism and media literacy as allies to promote racial equality by challenging narratives that create barriers to accessing social rights, amplify misinformation within communities, and perpetuate stereotypes about the peripheries and favelas in Brazil.

Through Ronaldo’s training programs and the networks of journalists and communicators he coordinates across various states in the North, Northeast, South, Central-west, and southeast, young Black, Indigenous, Quilombola, and LGBTQIA+ journalists are developing tools to express their perspectives, reframe media narratives, and operate in an environment that values reporting rooted in communities impoverished by the deliberate absence of public policies. The reports utilize solutions journalism, a rigorous, evidence-based approach that analyzes responses to social problems and evaluates how they work or why they fail. By amplifying underrepresented voices and advocating for more inclusive media practices, Desenrola e Não Me Enrola has become a space that goes beyond mere reporting of issues, instead covering action and transformation, demonstrating how grassroots leadership, historical analysis, and the collective construction of narratives can drive social change and affirm the relevance of stories emerging from Brazil’s peripheries and favelas.

Although the production of this content helped shed light on often-overlooked inequalities, Ronaldo noted in 2017 that social media and the platforms of major tech companies did not ensure the accessible distribution of this information. This realization led to the creation of Território da Notícia, which, before becoming a major national reference in news distribution, was known as Info Território - an idea that was submitted to the City of São Paulo’s calls for proposals to encourage technological innovation but was not recognized as an initiative with the potential for significant impact.

Ronaldo’s drive for social change led him to continue exploring and researching technological solutions to combat misinformation, with the aim of ensuring that reliable information reaches populations historically underserved by traditional media. The proposal to create a digital platform connecting independent media outlets, journalists, and communicators from outlying communities with local residents remained alive, even after failing to win the São Paulo City government’s grant. By combining advanced technology with community-based journalism, the platform addresses information inequalities and ensures that reliable information remains available.

Ronaldo’s innovative approach - now co-created, managed, promoted, and led by Desenrola E Não Me Enrola in partnership with Periferia em Movimento, another independent journalism outlet focused on the peripheries that has always been closely connected to the journalist’s work - was recognized in 2019 by the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge in Latin America, as one of the 30 most innovative initiatives in Latin America, securing resources for the development and expansion of Território da Notícia, a technology implemented in partnership with a network of media partners, including Alma Preta, Jornal Embarque no Direito, and Preto Império. Ronaldo’s work leading these initiatives has also earned him significant recognition, including the distinction of being the first Black journalist to receive the Sebrae Grand Prize for Journalism in the Entrepreneurial Journalist category in 2022. With over a decade of experience in high-impact social projects, Ronaldo has established himself as a leading figure in media literacy and the strengthening of public interest journalism in the daily lives of residents in the outskirts and favelas of São Paulo, using educational and informational technologies as tools for social transformation in other parts of the country as well. His work highlights the importance of decentralized technologies in empowering communities impoverished by the deliberate absence of public policies, enabling them to overcome dominant media narratives and craft their own stories. By strengthening local journalism and helping journalists and residents expand access to media literacy tools, Ronaldo continues to challenge power structures within the media ecosystem and contribute to a more informed and equitable Brazilian society.

Nowadays, Território da Notícia uses interactive digital kiosks that combine technology and community-based solutions to tackle misinformation, the digital divide, and informational inequalities in outlying neighborhoods and favelas - such as media illiteracy and information deserts. With the support of artificial intelligence supervised by human editors, the kiosks select and display relevant, reliable, and culturally appropriate content tailored to local needs. But for the next 10 years, the plans led by Ronaldo, Desenrola E Não Me Enrola, and Periferia Em Movimento are to transform this innovative idea into a public digital infrastructure for public-interest journalism, to ensure informational sovereignty for the population and Brazilian democracy, with the aim of making Brazil the first country in the Global South with technology of this scale.

The kiosks are installed in high-traffic areas, such as neighborhood stores and community centers, serving as access points for real-time news, educational content, and local journalism, even in areas with limited internet connectivity. They help residents stay informed about political, health, and social issues, while offering an alternative to the neglect or distortion of the realities of the favelas by traditional media. Território da Notícia operates through a community-centered model, with 17 digital kiosks in 10 districts of São Paulo, where 15 independent media outlets, in addition to Desenrola E Não Me Enrola, use the technology to distribute news to the local population, reaching approximately 650,000 people per month based on foot traffic at these locations. Content curation and distribution are diverse and collaborative, as they include the active participation of other media outlets that make up the partner network and also feature journalistic pieces produced by young participants in the Você Repórter na Periferia program.

Território da Notícia clearly separates the responsibilities of editorial production and distribution. Partner outlets maintain editorial autonomy, while Território da Notícia focuses on content distribution and impact measurement. Partner selection follows strict criteria: outlets must engage with both government officials and residents of the peripheries, treating the latter as protagonists and expert sources on issues of public interest. They may not produce racist, misogynistic, anti-LGBT, sexist, or anti-democratic narratives, nor promote the agendas of political parties. Partners publish exclusively original content, prioritizing interviews with residents, agents of change, community leaders, and public officials. Ponte Jornalismo exemplifies this mission by consistently adhering to these principles. The outlet focuses on human rights coverage, amplifying voices marginalized by oppression based on class, race, and gender, and prioritizing original reporting grounded in interviews with residents and community leaders, thereby establishing itself as a leader in inclusive journalism within this coalition.

Ronaldo Matos was born in Jardim Ângela, known during the 1990s as one of São Paulo’s most violent neighborhoods. There, he confronted the harsh realities of violence and poverty from an early age. Raised in a family of migrants from Brazil’s Northeast, his parents valued hard work over formal education - attending university was not, at first, considered a priority. His father owned a newspaper and magazine stand in the community where Ronaldo grew up, and this early exposure to journalism - through daily readings of reports about neighbors and friends affected by local violence - sparked his curiosity to look beyond the negative narratives tied to his territory, where violence and social exclusion were constantly portrayed. This experience ignited his interest in journalism and communication, strengthening his desire to highlight the positive stories from his community that traditional media often ignored. During his youth, hip‑hop, rap, and poetry gatherings played a central role in shaping his understanding of Black identity and the value of education as a tool for emancipation. Despite family pressure to abandon his studies and return to factory work, Ronaldo persisted in pursuing his journalism degree. Motivated by the scarcity of access to quality information in communities impoverished by the absence of public policies, he co‑founded Desenrola e Não Me Enrola in 2013 with journalist Thais Siqueira. Today, many young people who graduated from the program’s journalism pathway have created their own community‑based journalism projects, while others have entered the communications sector.

Ronaldo’s leadership at Desenrola led him to deliver numerous lectures and courses at private universities in São Paulo - work that has always encouraged him to continue advancing by connecting his experiences with young journalism students who share the same suburban and favela origins that shape his cultural identity. Engagement with academic spaces dedicated to knowledge production is a constant part of Ronaldo’s trajectory. As a partner of the School of Internet Governance (EGI) - an organization linked to the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) - he has visited several public universities, including UNICAMP, the Federal University of Pernambuco, and the State University of Rio Grande do Norte, teaching classes to students, researchers, and professors. These sessions are grounded in his research and projects, which propose new perspectives and directions for academic inquiry in communication.

In 2025, Ronaldo fulfilled a lifelong dream: he served for the first time as a university professor, teaching a course on the concepts and practices of independent journalism at Faculdade Cásper Líbero, the first academic institution to establish a journalism program in Brazil, in 1947.

In 2026, Ronaldo began pursuing another long‑held dream: he enrolled in a master’s program in Communication Sciences at the School of Communications and Arts of the University of São Paulo (ECA‑USP), where his research investigates how informational inequalities affect journalists and residents of Brazil’s peripheries and favelas.

Looking ahead, Ronaldo aims to transform the pioneering work developed in Brazil into a platform for action in other countries of the Global South. Based on his analysis of the effects of informational inequalities driven by digital platforms, he observes that countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia face challenges similar to those in Brazil. For him, building collaborative networks with journalists across these regions is essential for advancing systemic transformation. To help realize this vision, Ronaldo is now part of the network of systems orchestrators at the Center for Exponential Change – India & Brazil, an organization connecting leaders and institutions across the Global South to collaboratively develop new technologies capable of addressing and solving the complex problems of contemporary society.