CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF JOSÉ MARQUES DE MELO’S JOURNALISTIC THINKING

A pioneer figure in the field, José Marques de Melo gained justified fame in journalism studies in Brazil, without elaborating upon a systematic reflection on the subject. In this article, we proceed to the rational reconstruction of what would be his journalism theory, in order to develop a critical judgment about its intellectual meaning and epistemological limits. We argue that his ideas are part of what will be referred to here as liberal-developmentalism. In conclusion, we affirm that the lack of greater scientific and intellectual resonance in his work is the result of the incompatibilities and contradictions of this kind of thinking with the historical formation of Brazilian society.