Hipólito da Costa

Hipólito José da Costa Pereira Furtado de Mendonça (13 August 1774 – 11 September 1823) was a Brazilian journalist and diplomat considered to be the "father of Brazilian press".

Hipólito was born on a rich family in Colônia do Sacramento. After the territory was annexed to the Spanish Empire, he moved to Capão do Leão, where Pelotas is located nowadays. He was educated by his uncles and left to study in Lisbon, at University of Coimbra. There, he became acquainted with Rodrigo de Sousa Coutinho and went on a diplomatic mission to the United States, where he was initiated in the Freemasonry.

Back in the Kingdom of Portugal, he was employed on the Impressão Régia, the Court's journal, and went to England to buy equipment for the press, but on his way back he was arrested by the Portuguese Inquisition for engaging with Freemasonry and liberal ideas. Three years later, his fellow freemasons helped him escape prison and he moved to London, where he was under the protection of Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex. He maintained his involvement with Freemasonry and in 1808 inaugurated the journal Correio Braziliense, that he used to criticize the reign of Dom João VI. The periodical was forbitten to circulate in the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves, but it would commonly be smuggled inside of the Kingdom of Brazil and it was read even by important authorities.

He is considered an important historical figure to Brazil, influencing the Independence movement. Even though it was not published on Brazilian soil, Correio Braziliense is considered to be the first Brazilian journal. He received many homages after his death. He is the patron of the 17th chair of the Brazilian Academy of Letters, the National Day of the Press is celebrated on the day Correio Braziliense began circulating and his name was added to the Book of Heroes of the Homeland by José Alencar Gomes da Silva.