Brazil is in the middle of what could well become the most deadly epidemic of the country’s history. Deaths have surpassed 6,000 and are set to continue their vertiginous climb over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, key figures of the Brazilian government — including President Jair Bolsonaro — have chosen to bury their heads in the sand. Government Secretary Luiz Eduardo Ramos complained that the press coverage in Brazil during the pandemic has been overly negative, pleading for journalists to print “positive news.”
“On the morning news it’s coffins, bodies; at lunchtime, it’s coffins again. On the evening news it’s...