Brazilian journalist Ícaro Silva Jatobá denied INCA analyst position over degree mismatch

Ícaro Silva Jatobá, a 31‑year‑old journalist, placed first in the second edition of the Concurso Público Nacional Unificado (CNU) and was appointed to a vacancy at the Instituto Nacional de Câncer (INCA) under the Ministry of Health. The role was for Analista em Ciência e Tecnologia – Classe A‑I, specialty Information and Communication, based in Rio de Janeiro.

INCA rejected his documentation, stating that a journalism degree did not satisfy the required academic background, which the edital specified as a degree in Information Technology, Visual Communication or related areas. The edital did not clarify which courses were considered “related.” After an administrative appeal was denied, Jatobá filed a lawsuit seeking reversal, asking for reservation of the vacancy or provisional possession pending a court decision.