The role of the press in the deflation of right-wing political bubbles
(Article translated from a text originally published in Portuguese, using Google Translator.)
Instead of pointing to a consensual winner, the outcome of the Brazilian presidential elections ended up opening wide the formation of extremist political clusters that constitute a huge challenge not only for the elected president but also for the press and journalism. the information channels that feed the political-ideological polarization in the country.
The communication vehicles, self-employed professionals, and digital influencers (1) are protagonists in this process of fragmentation of Brazilian society, as they are responsible for filtering information that will increase political sectarianism and social xenophobia of groups that refuse to accept the victory of the president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
This is an unprecedented situation for the press and professionals because the political reality that emerged from the second round of the presidential elections points toward greater social concern with the causes and consequences of the emergence of extremist bubbles. Ultimately, journalism and the press are faced with a worsening dilemma between following the old rule of exemption or assuming the need to neutralize political-ideological polarization.
It is not a simple choice because it interferes with behaviors, norms, and values that have been incorporated for decades in the profession. The extremist reaction to Lula’s victory disoriented most Brazilian newspapers and accelerated the need to change editorial strategies. A situation arose in which the defense of democracy stopped being rhetorical and took on a concrete character, that is, guaranteeing respect for the result of a popular vote and criticism of the formation of conspiracy bubbles.
It was also clear that fake news is not just a punctual error to be corrected by fact-checking organizations, but a critical political tool in the strategy of extremist movements. The disinformation process, built upon the fake news is responsible for the strengthening of the internal unity and voluntarism of extremist bubbles. The information avalanche and online social networks increased the flow of news to such an extent that people ended up confused by so much information, making it almost impossible to eliminate fake news.
The exemption price
Insecurity and uncertainty about the authenticity of the news are at the origin of the setting up of ideologically homogeneous groups within which people receive the same type of information, whether true or false. It’s a process that is more intense among right-wing groups because they feel marginalized by the political establishment and take refuge inside ideological clusters. This phenomenon of radicalization was described in detail by American professor Cass Sunstein (former advisor to President Barack Obama), in the book Going to Extremes, (published in 2009).
We are witnessing a sort of post-election hangover. Traditionally, the winners used to display their electoral choice on T-shirts and stickers proudly, but what we are seeing today in most Brazilian cities is a protagonism of the losers, most of them wearing green and yellow or displaying the national flag on top of their cars. There is clearly a defiant position and a refusal to accept defeat, even as this position seeks to justify itself using absolutely untrue facts and data. The credibility doesn’t matter, but the incessant repetition of lies until they become an undisputed statement.
Ideological radicalization and polarization are already overflowing the partisan sphere to affect human relations, as shown by the multiplication of videos and internet posts of people harassed or discriminated against by members of the extremist right-wing bubbles. The phenomenon is more intense in the southern region of the country, especially in Santa Catarina and Paraná. The press and journalism cannot deal with these cases in a bureaucratic way because tolerant or supposedly exempt postures contribute to further encouraging right-wing extremism.
(1) Press and journalism are different concepts. The press is the business of disseminating and selling news. Journalism is the profession responsible for producing news. Influencers are individuals, mostly without journalistic technical training, who disseminate and comment on facts, data and events over the internet.
