Eldest son of
Octavio Frias de Oliveira, an entrepreneur who bought the company responsible for Folha in 1962, Frias Filho started to work for the newspaper in 1975, writing editorials and helping out journalist
Cláudio Abramo, who headed the newsroom. He took part in the editorial reforms conducted by Octavio Frias and Abramo during that period, which resulted in opening Folha's pages to political and intellectual figures of all stripes, taking advantage of the political opening then being promoted by the military regime. This pluralistic viewpoint earned respect for Folha and brought it closer to the civilian society. As newsroom director, Frias Filho systematized and developed the newspaper's experiences during the political opening and
Diretas Já periods. A series of documents circulated periodically defined the newspaper's editorial project as part of the so-called Projeto Folha, defined by critical, unbiased and pluralistic news coverage. Those same principles oriented Folha's
Newsroom Manual, launched in 1984 and updated on several occasions since. More than a style guide, it serves as a guide to the rules and commitments Folha works under. It was the first publication of its kind to be made available to the general public in Brazil. The guidelines stipulate that all journalism must be descriptive and accurate, but that themes that cause controversy can admit to more than one viewpoint and require a pluralistic treatment. Folha became known also for its highly diverse selection of columnists. At the same time, checks and balances were instituted through internal controls: the Manual, the daily “Corrections” section adopted in 1991, a rule stating that objections to any article expressed by readers or people mentioned in the news should be printed, and, above all, the
ombudsman position, created in 1989; this position entails job security for its holder, whose aim is to criticize Folha and deal with complaints by readers and people mentioned in the news. From the midpoint of the Brazilian military rule, Folha has kept a critical stance towards several succeeding administrations (
Ernesto Geisel,
João Figueiredo,
José Sarney,
Fernando Collor,
Itamar Franco). Otavio Frias Filho was sued, with three of
Folhas reporters, by then President Fernando Collor. The newspaper's coverage about the administrations of
Fernando Henrique Cardoso (
PSDB) and
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (
PT) led to accusations of anti-governmental bias in both cases, though the two Presidents belong to rival parties. Beginning with the exposure of a massive fraud on the Ferrovia Norte-Sul (1985), and through the
Mensalão scandal (2005), Folha kept revealing abuses and misrule. In 1991, Frias Filho accepted, on behalf of Folha, the
Maria Moors Cabot Award, granted by
Columbia University. Frias died on 21 August 2018, aged 61, in his hometown of
São Paulo from
pancreatic cancer. ==Literature==