The oldest active newspaper in São Paulo, O Estado de S. Paulo turns 150 this Saturday, the 4th.
As a result of the movement of coffee growers, businessmen and other exponents of São Paulo society with republican ideals, the first edition was circulated on January 4, 1875, under the name A Província de São Paulo.
In the early years, names such as the lawyer and journalist and fellow journalist Américo de Campos were at the helm of the daily. The Province circulated four pages and printed just over 2,000 copies.
After almost a decade of life, the publication was close to bankruptcy. Alberto Salles, who held a management position, scared off Portuguese advertisers with his anti-Portuguese positions. The diary ended up being saved by a young journalist from Campinas, who managed to bring advertising back to the pages and started taking on more responsible roles in the company.
With the advent of the Republic, in November 1889, it was renamed O Estado de S. Paulo. Just over two years later, Mesquita became the sole owner of the newspaper, which remains in family hands after a century and a half.
“The newspaper that was born to hasten the end of an archaic regime, the slave monarchy, has always maintained its commitment to looking at its own future and that of the country, betting on being equipped from the point of view of technology, processes and management in a to continue advancing — as is now the case with the permanent process of digital transformation”, says Francisco de Mesquita Neto, president of the board of directors of Grupo Estado and member of the fourth generation of the family in charge of the company.
This continuous process of digital transformation implies, among other actions, increasing attention to video production and an increasing presence on social networks.
“Young people’s first contact with journalistic information will generally be on social networks, which is why our brands need to be in these environments. [Nosso objetivo] is to diversify the formats to speak to audiences wherever they are”, says , who took on the role of CEO of S/AO Estado de S. Paulo in July 2024, which includes managing the newspaper and radio Eldorado.
In the first decades of the 20th century, as one of the main newspapers in the country, the State experienced turmoil with some presidents of the so-called Old Republic. But nothing that could compare with the clashes during the Estado Novo of , when the daily was commanded by Julio de Mesquita Filho and Francisco Mesquita, two of the sons of Julio Mesquita, who had died in 1927.
In March 1940, the Getulista police occupied the editorial office and printing workshops. According to these agents, there were machine guns hidden in the building, which would be used to depose the president. As stated in the second volume of the biography about Getúlio, the National Security Court proved the accusations were unfounded. Most likely, says the author, the weapons were planted by the police themselves.
The newspaper remained under federal intervention from that moment until December 1945, when it returned to the hands of the Mesquita family.
“Estadão, in a complex country like ours, went through several difficult moments in these 150 years. I think the most difficult were Vargas’ intervention in the newspaper and the censorship imposed on the newspaper by the military regime after the editorial ‘Instituições em Frangalhos'” , says Mesquita Neto.
According to Oscar Pilagallo, author of “História da Imprensa Paulista”, the State emphatically supported the . The Mesquita family held meetings with coup plotters, both military and civilian, since the resignation of President Jânio Quadros in 1961. They also manipulated the news with the aim of overthrowing
A Sheet he also initially supported the coup, but acted more discreetly. The newspaper’s editorial position did not deserve greater attention from the new owners, Octavio Frias de Oliveira and Carlos Caldeira Filho, who were more concerned with cleaning up the company financially.
In the following years, the State distanced itself from the military regime. In December 1968, he published the editorial “Instituições em Frangalhos”, criticizing President Costa e Silva.
With the decree of AI-5, which reinforced the federal government’s repressive machinery, publications such as Estado and Veja magazine were subjected to prior censorship.
This Saturday, the 4th, the State launches a digital hub about the 150 years, divided into seven thematic axes: the newspaper itself, Republic, Economy, Land, São Paulo, Technology and Living.
“We are very proud of the history of Estadão and we will celebrate this history. But it will not be a museum-like celebration, we will look forward”, says Bretas.
A main characteristic [para chegar aos 150 anos] it is the uncompromising maintenance of its founding values, especially the idea of the Republic, freedom and democracy. A newspaper like this is recognized by readers and the country as indispensable for society. Another fundamental characteristic is the commitment of the company’s shareholders to keep these values always alive through a sustainable and independent company
We are in a very positive moment from a financial point of view. We came from an investment cycle with our debenture holders, who understood that Estadão is a very relevant vehicle in the Brazilian press [além da emissão de debêntures, houve aporte de recursos dos acionistas da família Mesquita]. They got together and made an investment that helped solve the newspaper’s short-term debt problem.
