Jornal Nacional

History

Jornal Nacional premiered on 1 September 1969, hosted by Hilton Gomes and Cid Moreira, the first Rio de Janeiro-produced newscast to be shown nationwide. Months later, the program featured the network's first female weekend presenter Márcia Mendes.

During the 1970s, Jornal Nacional preferred to emphasize international news and sports. The British documentary Beyond Citizen Kane suggests that this happened so that Globo wouldn't have to report the repression of the Brazilian military government, which would have provided a substantial part of the network's growth. Despite this, the program introduced some innovations (color broadcasts in 1972, via satellite reports in 1973, live reports in 1976 and videotape footage in 1977).

Through the 1980s, three episodes involving the program caused controversy. In 1982, Jornal Nacional coverage of the state elections of Rio de Janeiro was accused of participating in a plot to fraud the elections. According to former Rede Globo employee Roméro da Costa Machado, Leonel Brizola, a candidate of the opposition to the military regime, was a politician historically persecuted by Rede Globo owner Roberto Marinho. Two years later, the program was accused of omitting information about the Diretas Já, a popular campaign for resuming the direct election for president, near the end of the dictatorship. Finally, in 1989, Jornal Nacional was accused of editing a presidential debate between runoff candidates Fernando Collor and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in order to favor Collor. This episode is also extensively debated on Beyond Citizen Kane.

In the 1990s, the quality of Rede Globo's journalism increased dramatically. Jornal Nacional presented its viewers breaking stories such as police brutality at favelas, an interview with Paulo César Farias when he was on the run from the law, corruption cases on the social security, the kicking of the saint incident among several others.

In recent days, after the death of Marinho, Rede Globo's journalism again declined in quality. Jornal Nacional has preferred to broadcast stories produced on the Southeast, in spite of Globo having affiliates in every Brazilian state. During the Mensalão scandal and the 2006 general elections, Jornal Nacional was once again accused of airing anti-Lula biased news. It also lost a significant part of its viewership to Rede Record's Jornal da Record, which copied its style and also features former Jornal Nacional anchors, Celso Freitas and Marcos Hummel (as a relief presenter for Jornal da Record). In November 2005, host William Bonner caused controversy after he compared the average Jornal Nacional viewer with Homer Simpson, the ignorant main character of the American animated series The Simpsons.

As part of Rede Globo's 50th anniversary, Jornal Nacional was in 2015 given a brand new look and a brand new intro, however, the theme tune will remain unchanged. Between 17 March and 27 April that year, the newscast aired on chroma key.

On 19 June 2017, Jornal Nacional introduced a new set in the middle of a newsroom at Globo's Rio de Janeiro headquarters, which features a curved glass backdrop that can be used with laser projectors for background graphics, and augmented reality effects.

From 31 August through 30 November 2019, in honour of the program's 50th anniversary, Saturday editions of Jornal Nacional were broadcast with anchor pairings representing Rede Globo's affiliates. Just months afterward, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the network news division decided that Bonner become the alternate Saturday presenter, while overall presentation duties were assumed by reporters from the flagship station in Rio de Janeiro full time instead of São Paulo or Brasilla-based ones, with a four-person team appointed to alternate by twos the presentation of the Saturday edition, unless extraordinary news coverages on Saturdays (including sports events) warrant the presence of the weekday presenter team. Two more joined the Saturday pool for the 2021 season.

On 1 November 2025, as part of TV Globo's reorganization of news department announced on 1 September, Cristiana Sousa Cruz, who previously deputy editor-in-chief during Bonner's tenure as main presenter, was appointed as new editor-in-chief of Jornal Nacional, making it the first replacement of editor-in-chief in 26 years.

Hosts

*Jornal Nacional'''s first hosts were Hilton Gomes and Cid Moreira. In 1971, Sérgio Chapelin replaced Gomes and joined Moreira as the longest-running duo of program hosts. In 1983, Chapelin was replaced by Celso Freitas. Chapelin returned in 1989, hosting again with Moreira until 1996. In that year, William Bonner and Lillian Witte Fibe began serving as hosts. From 1998 and prior to 5 December 2011, Witte Fibe was replaced by Bonner's then-wife, Fátima Bernardes. Bonner and Bernardes recently tied with Chapelin and Moreira as the longest-running duo of Jornal Nacional hosts. From 31 October 2014, the former host of *Fantástico'', Renata Vasconcellos replaced Patrícia Poeta (who also replaced Fátima) and joined Bonner as the current hosts of the program.

On 1 September 2025, 56th anniversary of the program, William Bonner announced that he would step down as editor-in-chief (a position he served since 1999) and presenter (since 1996) of Jornal Nacional (a position he served since 1999) at the end of the year, in preparation to move his role as the presenter of Globo Repórter in February 2026. In turn, TV Globo announced that the last day of Bonner's tenure as presenter of JN would be on 31 October 2025. After that, César Tralli, which was JN's relief presenter since 2018, took over its helm as a new permanent presenter on 3 November 2025.

Main presenters

• Hilton Gomes (1969–1971)
• Cid Moreira (1969–1996)
• Ronaldo Rosas (1971-1972)
• Sérgio Chapelin (1972–1983; 1989–1996)
• Celso Freitas (1983–1989)
• William Bonner (1996–2025)
• Lillian Witte Fibe (1996–1998)
• Fátima Bernardes (1998–2011)
• Patrícia Poeta (2011–2014)
• Renata Vasconcellos (since 2014)
• César Tralli (since 2025)

[[Weather forecasting]]

• Fabiana Scaranzi (2000–2004)
• Rosana Jatobá (2004–2013)
• Flávia Freire (2012-2013)
• Michelle Loreto (2013-2015)
• Maria Júlia Coutinho (2015-2019)
• Anne Lottermann (2019-2021)
• Eliana Marques (since 2021)

Relief presenters

• Heraldo Pereira (since 2002)
• Ana Paula Araújo (since 2011)
• Giuliana Morrone (2015-2023)
• Ana Luiza Guimarães (since 2017)
• César Tralli (2018-2025)
• Flávio Fachel (since 2019)
• Márcio Bonfim (since 2020)
• Roberto Kovalick (since 2020)
• Aline Aguiar (since 2020)
• Jessica Senra (since 2020)
• André Trigueiro (since 2020)
• Helter Duarte (since 2020)
• Mariana Gross (since 2020)
• Aline Midlej (since 2021)
• Paulo Renato Soares (since 2021)

Special Relief presenters for the 50th golden anniversary season

• Ayres Rocha (Acre)
• Filipe Todelo (Alagoas)
• Aline Ferreira (Amapá)
• Luana Borba (Amazonas)
• Jessica Senra (Bahia)
• Taís Lopes (Ceará)
• Philipe Lemos (Espírito Santo)
• Fábio William (Federal District)
• Matheus Ribeiro (Goiás)
• Giovanni Spinucci (Maranhão)
• Luzimar Collares (Mato Grosso)
• Lucimar Lescano (Mato Grosso do Sul)
• Aline Aguiar (Minas Gerais)
• Priscilla Castro (Pará)
• Sandro Dalpícolo (Paraná)
• Larissa Pereira (Paraíba)
• Marcelo Magno (Piauí)
• Márcio Bonfim (Pernambuco)
• Cristina Ranzolin (Rio Grande do Sul)
• Lídia Pace (Rio Grande do Norte)
• Ellen Ferreira (Roraima)
• Ana Lídia Daíbes (Rondônia)
• Fabian Londero (Santa Catarina)
• Carlos Tramontina (São Paulo)
• Lyderwan Santos (Sergipe)
• Mariana Gross (Rio de Janeiro)
• Thiago Rogeh (Tocantins)

Ratings

Criticism

Some of the news aired by Jornal Nacional are criticized for not representing all points of view, manipulating news and being sensationalist.

Notes

References

References

1. "Programas JORNAL NACIONAL".
2. (19 January 2006). "Folha Online - Ilustrada - Crítica: Homer Simpson desafia "Jornal Nacional"". www1.folha.uol.com.br.
3. "Homer Simpson, o brasileiro médio, segundo Bonner - Cultura - Estadão". estadao.com.br.
4. (6 December 2005). "Folha Online - Ilustrada - Bonner rebate crítica sobre caso "Homer"". www1.folha.uol.com.br.
5. "Em obras, Jornal Nacional vai ao ar com cenário falso e irrita jornalistas - JÁ É NOTÍCIA - NA VELOCIDADE DOS ACONTECIMENTOS". jaenoticia.com.br.
6. "Globo adia estreia do novo cenário do "Jornal Nacional" - CdB | Jornal Correio do Brasil".
7. "Jornal Nacional adia estreia de novo cenário | Na Ponta da Língua". wp.clicrbs.com.br.
8. (7 August 2017). "An inside look at Globo's augmented reality news studio".
9. (2 August 2019). "Globo define rodízio de apresentadores em edição comemorativa do Jornal Nacional". Felipe Brandão - Observatório da Televisão.
10. (2 September 2025). "Quem é a jornalista Cristiana Sousa Cruz, próxima editora-chefe do 'Jornal Nacional'". O Tempo.
11. UOL SP. (15 September 2014). "Patrícia Poeta deixará o "Jornal Nacional" em novembro". [[Universo Online.
12. Extra. (15 September 2014). "Patrícia Poeta será substituída por Renata Vasconcellos no 'Jornal Nacional'". Extra.
13. Redação. (15 September 2014). "Poeta deixa Jornal Nacional; Renata Vasconcelos assume bancada". Notícias da TV.
14. Redação. (2 September 2025). "Nova casa de Bonner, Globo Repórter foi espaço de resistência do cinema documental brasileiro na ditadura; entenda". O Globo.
15. (28 October 2025). "Mudanças na apresentação de telejornais da TV Globo começam nesta quinta-feira, dia 30". Extra.
16. Medeiros, Gabriela. (25 September 2025). "William Bonner fica no 'Jornal Nacional' até que dia? Saiba quando César Tralli assume a bancada do telejornal". Extra.
17. UOL - Ooops!. [http://noticias.uol.com.br/ooops/ultimas-noticias/2013/08/13/desde-2000-jn-perdeu-um-terco-do-publico.htm Desde 2000, "JN" perdeu um terço do público]
18. Luis Soares. [http://www.pragmatismopolitico.com.br/2013/08/audiencia-do-jornal-nacional-em-queda-livre.html Audiência do Jornal Nacional em queda livre]
19. R7.com. [http://entretenimento.r7.com/famosos-e-tv/jornal-nacional-despenca-na-audiencia-e-perde-um-terco-do-publico-desde-2000-13082013 Jornal Nacional despenca na audiência e perde um terço do público desde 2000]
20. O DIA. [http://odia.ig.com.br/portal/diversaoetv/jornal-nacional-tem-pior-audi%C3%AAncia-desde-2000-1.543531 'Jornal Nacional' tem pior audiência desde 2000]
21. Folha de S. Paulo (2006). [http://www1.folha.uol.com.br/folha/colunas/ooops/ult340u1093.shtml Audiência do "Jornal Nacional" despenca; novela "Belíssima" também cai]
22. Folha de S. Paulo. [http://f5.folha.uol.com.br/televisao/1211860-jornal-nacional-tem-o-pior-desempenho-no-ibope-desde-2000.shtml "Jornal Nacional" tem o pior desempenho no ibope desde 2000]. UOL.
23. Folha de S. Paulo. [http://f5.folha.uol.com.br/colunistas/vivianmasutti/2013/12/1384425-cai-audiencia-do-jornal-nacional-e-poeta-tem-saia-justa.shtml "Jornal Nacional" perde um terço de sua audiência em dez anos]. UOL.
24. [http://celebridades.uol.com.br/ooops/ultimas-noticias/2015/05/06/jn-renovado-cresce-em-audiencia.htm "Jornal Nacional" renovado cresce em audiência]
25. (April 11, 2014). "Jornal Nacional manipulou denúncias sobre Petrobras-Alstom | GGN". jornalggn.com.br.
26. "As manifestações de 2013 no Brasil vistas pelo Jornal Nacional (Rede Globo) | Camila Moreira Cesar - Academia.edu". academia.edu.
27. "Analistas critican cobertura "sensacionalista" de tragedia en discoteca brasileña | Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas". knightcenter.utexas.edu.
28. Medeiros, Flavia Natércia da Silva; Massarani, Luisa. [http://jcom.sissa.it/sites/default/files/documents/Jcom0903%282010%29A03.pdf "Pandemic on the air: a case study on the coverage of new influenza A/H1N1 by Brazilian prime time TV news"], 21 September 2010. Retrieved on 31 January 2016.
29. Boldrin, Mariana M. [http://mestrado.fic.ufg.br/up/76/o/dissertacao_versao_final.pdf "A IMAGINAÇÃO MELODRAMÁTICA NO JORNAL NACIONAL"], ''[[Universidade Federal de Goias]]'', 2015. Retrieved on 31 January 2016.