UFRN students launch second volume of e-book with memories of the Rio Grande do Norte press

Belita Lira
With the purpose of preserving and valuing the trajectory of communication professionals in Rio Grande do Norte, students of the Journalism course at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) launch the e-book “Testimonials for a history of the Rio Grande do Norte press – Volume 2”. The work is part of the Potiguar Journalism Collection, started in 2017, and was launched this Tuesday, April 8, at 7pm, in the auditorium of the Department of Social Communication. The event is part of the University's Communication Week program.
With 254 pages, the digital book brings together 19 interviews with journalists from Rio Grande do Norte, carried out by undergraduate students during Literary Journalism classes, in the first semester of 2024. The subject is optional and was guided by professor Socorro Veloso, who also authored the organization of the volume alongside journalists and researchers Alice Andrade and Jadeanny Arruda, and publicist and researcher John Willian Lopes.
Journalist Tácito Costa is the author of the publication's preface. He has also participated in the collection in other editions. The graphic project was carried out by diagrammer Victor Silva, linked to the Center for Human Sciences, Letters and Arts (CCHLA/UFRN).
With photos provided by the interviewees themselves, the testimonies outline an overview of journalistic activities before the consolidation of the commercial internet in Brazil, in the 1990s, rescuing experiences in newsrooms and remarkable professional experiences. Among the names present are Ana Cadengue, Célia Freire, Cézar Alves, Cid Augusto, Ciro Pedroza, Conceição Almeida, Diógenes Dantas, Edilson Braga, Francisco Duarte, Itamar Cirático, Jomar Morais, Juliano Freire, Maralice Freitas, Marcos Aurélio de Sá, Osni Damásio, Ricardo Rosado, Simone Silva, Vicente Neto and Virgínia Coelli.
The students actively participated in the entire e-book production process, from the initial contact with the interviewees to the investigation, writing, review and checking of the texts. One of the most striking reports is that of journalist Célia Freire, interviewed in April 2024 by students Marina Layssi and Gabrielly Borges. The journalist passed away months later, in October, and the work is dedicated to her memory, also featuring tributes from colleagues who lived with her.
In addition to the new volume, the e-books “Jornalistas Escritores do RN: Interviews” (2017), “Testimonies for a History of the Potiguar Press” (2018), “Fotojornalismo Potiguar” (2019) and “Vozes do Jornal Cultural no RN” (2023) have already been released. All titles are available for free download in the Zila Mamede Library repository, at UFRN.
The book can be accessed in the UFRN repository via the link: https://repositorio.ufrn.br/handle/123456789/63317