Who is Igor Moraes?

It would not be enough to empower the press with cutting-edge technology if it doesn't appeal to an audience. The public needs to reconnect with journalism and have, at the very least, one favorite news source to check for updates. That's what made us realize that it was required to talk about journalism through the voice of people who have special skills, especially in sports, but who live in ‘news desert’ regions.

The choice of Igor Moraes as MPJ's first ambassador and surfing as a sport is surrounded by symbolism. Igor was born and raised in Maresias, São Sebastião county, one of the many Brazilian coastal regions that has no news media sites: 40% of the 279 counties on the Brazilian coast are considered news deserts or near-deserts, according to the 2023 Atlas da Noticia. This region is home to 47 million inhabitants, around 22% of the entire Brazilian population.

This athlete was the Brazilian professional surfing champion in 2019, and stood out in 2024 by being the only surfer to be awarded a maximum score, in the history of the Brazilian Surfing Championship in Saquarema. His good results in Brazil earned him a place in this year's Challenger Series, the rookie division on the Championship Tour, which in turn is the elite division of the WSL (World Surf League).

With this sponsorship, Mais Pelo Jornalismo pops the bubble and carries both the message against disinformation, and the war against news deserts across a whole another level of visibility. Surfing may be a solitary sport, but so is entrepreneurship in journalism. The idea is to connect these two activities by their challenges, attracting an audience that will not hyperfocus on the communication environment.

The MPJ brand will be present on Igor’s surfboard nose during all the competitions in the 2025 season, including all five Challenger rounds, which start on June 2nd and end on October 19th. They are to take place in Australia, South Africa, the US, Portugal and, finally, in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.