Fake news are the biggest threats to our society today, as they undermine the capacity for social mobilization around relevant issues.

To combat this, we decided to create for Folha de S.Paulo, the largest newspaper in Brazil, recognized as an journalistic icon for its independent stance and its non-negotiable commitment to the facts a campaign that promotes: a) the relevance of professional journalism, b) the importance of a quality assessment and c) encourages its valorization.

The objective was to promote the relevance of professional journalism, collaborating to deconstruct the notion that the journalistic content exposed on the internet does not need to be paid for, as well helping to train new readers.

We decided to show how truth has never been worth so much.

The solution was to be direct: professional journalism is so valuable that it should be printed like money. In this way, we print our newspaper in the same place where the national currency is made, with all the respective validation and verification mechanisms: paper money, holographic seal, serial number, and raised inscriptions.

We recruited opinion leaders from the most expressive segments of society - politics, arts, culture, economics, sports, finance, and, of course, the press - who received copies of our newspaper and promoted a productive discussion around the importance of free media in the fight not only disinformation but also extremism and mass manipulation.

This special edition has also been shown at bus stops in the city of São Paulo.

To face times of misinformation and fake news, we decided to create a special edition of the most traditional newspaper in Brazil, and one of the largest in Latin America, printing this newspaper in the same place where the national currency is made, with all the respective validation mechanisms and verification: paper money, holographic seal, serial number and embossed inscriptions.

To reach our target, men and women, over 16, from classes A and B, we recruited opinion makers from the most expressive segments of society - politics, arts, culture, economics, sports, finance, and, of course, the press - who promoted a productive discussion around the importance of the free media in the struggle not only of disinformation but also of extremism and manipulation of the masses.

We printed one special edition of Folha de S. Paulo newspaper in the same place where the national currency is made, with all the respective validation and checking mechanisms: paper money, holographic seal, serial number, and raised inscriptions.

The project started to be developed in December 2019. It took 3 months developing design and illustrations, 1 month in computer image treatment, 4 months of printing tests, defining papers, processes, and other 2 months of final production.

Copies were sent to opinion leaders from the most pronounced segments of society - politics, arts, culture, economics, sports, finance, and, of course, the press - who received copies of our newspaper and promoted a productive discussion around the importance of free media in the fight not only of disinformation, but also extremism and mass manipulation.

Beyond this special edition has also run in bus shelters around the city of Sao Paulo.

This special edition of Folha de S.Paulo has been a topic of discussion in Brazil and abroad and it has strengthened Folha’s position as a trustworthy source of information and a well-respected centennial organization.

With this project, we had not only brought fake news to the spotlight but most importantly, we valued professional journalism as something more important than ever, setting true news as the most valuable currency in the world.