Plus 55

Plus 55 was a Brazilian news and commentary publication launched in 2016 by Gustavo Riberio and Marcelo Anache. It was created during a period when Brazilian political, economic, social, and cultural developments were receiving increasing attention outside the country, but much of the reporting remained available primarily in Portuguese. The publication sought to make Brazilian news more accessible to international readers by translating and contextualizing local developments in English. The name Plus 55 referred to Brazil's international telephone country calling code, +55. That naming choice linked the publication directly to its national focus while also signaling an outward-looking, internationally oriented editorial mission. Plus 55 was organized into sections covering Power, Money, Life, Ideas, and Opinion, giving it a scope broader than a narrowly focused translation service. Its subject matter included politics and public affairs, business and economics, culture and society, analysis, and commentary. The project initially began as a blog written in French before changing its language of coverage to English. That transition reflected a move toward a wider international audience and positioned Plus 55 as one of the early publications specifically dedicated to translating Brazilian news into English. Although its operating period was brief—approximately 18 months beginning in 2016—the publication attracted international notice for selected stories. Its best-known coverage concerned the Chapecoense football team plane accident. The story was significant in Brazil and around the world, and Plus 55's reporting led to an interview with Time magazine. This recognition helped distinguish the publication beyond its relatively short lifespan. Available reference material does not identify a successor company, parent organization, continuing website, major commercial product line, or subsequent relaunch. On the available evidence, Plus 55 is best understood as a discontinued digital media brand rather than an ongoing news organization.

Plus 55 emerged in Brazil in 2016 as a small digital publication focused on making Brazilian news available to readers beyond the Portuguese-speaking media environment. It was founded by Gustavo Riberio and Marcelo Anache. The publication's name was derived from Brazil's international dialing code, +55, combining a clear national identifier with an indication that the project was intended to connect Brazil to an international audience. The publication's early form was a blog written in French. It later shifted to English-language coverage, a change that broadened its potential readership and made its work more directly relevant to foreign journalists, researchers, businesses, and general readers seeking information about Brazil. Rather than simply presenting a single stream of translated articles, Plus 55 divided its editorial material into several thematic areas: Power, Money, Life, Ideas, and Opinion. These categories encompassed public affairs, economics, social and cultural topics, analysis, and editorial commentary. The project operated for approximately 18 months beginning in 2016. Within that limited period, it covered a wide range of Brazilian headlines and attracted attention for particular stories with international resonance. The most prominent example was its coverage of the Chapecoense accident, involving the Brazilian football team. The importance of the event and the international interest surrounding it brought Plus 55 to the attention of Time magazine, which interviewed the publication about its reporting. The available record does not document a long-term corporate structure, outside investment, parent company, product expansion, or formal successor. Nor does it provide evidence of a continuing publication after the reported 18-month operating period. Accordingly, Plus 55 is generally characterized as a short-lived digital news brand and an early effort to translate Brazilian reporting into English. Its principal historical significance lies in that translation and internationalization mission, together with the visibility it achieved through coverage of the Chapecoense tragedy.

• 2017

  Reported operating period ends

  [1]Plus 55en.wikipedia.org

  The publication's documented operating period concludes after approximately 18 months beginning in 2016.

• 2016

  Plus 55 launches

  [1]Plus 55en.wikipedia.org

  Gustavo Riberio and Marcelo Anache launch Plus 55 as a publication focused on Brazilian news for audiences outside Brazil.

• 2016

  Editorial language changes from French to English

  [1]Plus 55en.wikipedia.org

  The project moves from its original French-language blog format to English-language coverage.

• 2016

  Chapecoense coverage gains international recognition

  [1]Plus 55en.wikipedia.org

  Coverage of the Chapecoense accident becomes the publication's most internationally recognized body of reporting and leads to an interview with Time magazine.

A digitally native, internationally oriented publication translating and contextualizing Brazilian news for English-speaking audiences.

• Digital news media · 2016

  Plus 55 digital publication

  The core Plus 55 offering was a digital publication translating and contextualizing Brazilian news for international readers. Its editorial structure included Power, Money, Life, Ideas, and Opinion, combining news reporting with analysis and commentary. The publication first appeared as a French-language blog and later operated in English, reflecting its effort to reach a broader global audience.

• 2016

  Shift from French blogging to English-language coverageStrategy

  Background

  Plus 55 began as a blog written in French but was intended to cover Brazilian developments for readers beyond the country's Portuguese-language media sphere.

  Action taken

  The publication changed its editorial language to English and organized its coverage into thematic sections including Power, Money, Life, Ideas, and Opinion.

  Aftermath

  The change positioned Plus 55 as one of the early publications focused on translating Brazilian news into English and helped it reach international readers.

  Source

1. 1Plus 55en.wikipedia.org