backThe decision of the Superior Court of Justice (STJ), published in July 2025, upheld the right of reply granted to a Rio de Janeiro clinic against Rede Globo, following the broadcast of two news reports containing allegedly false information. While the claim was initially rejected by a lower court for not identifying abuse of press freedom, the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice (TJRJ) ordered the reply to be aired — a decision later confirmed by the STJ’s Third Panel under Law 13,188/2015.
Rede Globo argued that the response should be limited and subject to editorial constraints, but Justice Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva, the rapporteur, emphasized that press freedom is not absolute and that the right of reply aims to restore balance between the media and the aggrieved party. He stated that freedom of expression cannot serve as justification for disseminating false information.
According to the minister, the injured party is entitled to frame their reply based on the perceived harm, without needing prior approval from the media outlet or the judiciary. The right must be exercised under the principles of equivalence and immediacy, with judicial intervention allowed only in cases of clear abuse or disproportionality.
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