As soon as the fraudulent letter in which the defeated candidate, Flávio Bolsonaro, declared himself "president" of Brazil was released, many Brazilian newspapers published the statement as if it were just another news item, in a declaratory tone, without highlighting its coup-like nature.
"In a letter released by allies, Flávio Bolsonaro says he is the elected president of Brazil after arriving in the US, fleeing," reported Folha de S.Paulo. "In the US, Flávio declares himself 'true elected president' and thanks Trump and Milei," headlined Estadão. Other media outlets also made similar headlines.
After a few minutes on the air, most portals corrected the tone. "Flávio Bolsonaro says he is the elected president of Brazil in a coup letter released by allies," reformulated Folha. Estadão also changed: "After fleeing, Flávio declares himself 'elected president in a coup letter and thanks Trump and Milei." Later, the defeated candidate himself posted a new letter, in which he calls himself "leader of Brazil."
TheAgência Públicaspoke with Fabiana Moraes, a professor and researcher at the Center for Design and Communication at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), who believes that the shift in stance by major media outlets in this instance may have been the result of a greater "media literacy" among the public after the recent elections, which has become more critical of the press's work.
The professor, who researches journalistic objectivity—that is, the belief that journalism can be free of ideologies and biases—recalled how the media had been the target of many criticisms in this election coverage. "Flavio having lunch with Globo before the interview on Jornal Nacional was a scandal," she said, about themeetingbetween the former senator and the broadcaster's executives on the day he was scheduled to be interviewed. "I think these elections taught a larger population some issues that would usually just be a conversation between journalists."
The researcher points out that some media outlets that initially normalized the pro-coup rhetoric "wanted Flávio to be president, or they had always had a huge antipathy towards Lula." "I wouldn't say there is a new stance [on their part], but a correction in this specific case because people quickly questioned the headlines."
The researcher recalls that it became evident that thealgorithmsof social networks are not purely technical and, therefore, can be questioned. Similarly, journalism is not purely technical, according to Moraes. "I think there is an issue of showing where the press was going," he points out, citing as an example the relations between the press and the former banker Daniel Vorcaro, who acted almost as an 'editor-in-chief' of some newsrooms. ThePublic showedVorcaro's editorial interference within the top echelons of the Globo group.
Moraes also points out that, in these elections, the influence of independent journalism became more apparent, as well as the influence of strategies different from traditional coverage, such as the use of humor, fiction, and digital influencers.
One of Moraes's books is "The News is a Weapon of Combat," in which he discusses how journalists define what will or will not be news, often reproducing prejudices and hierarchies related to gender, social class, and race.
Moraes believes that this election will be important for "cutting through the noise" to establish new positions. "For example, we need to truly promote and fund independent journalism. Because that's what happened: Lula becomes president in a historic election, and the next day, the newspapers are talking about the stock market – something that always happens – but they minimize the significance of this victory. When you look at international media the next day, the coverage and the weight given to Lula's victory are very different," he says.
The media will continue to pursue its bets, like Globo with Flávio – real bets, right? But I think there's a good thing, which is the recognition of journalism that looks at democracy not as a business, but as a necessary environment to breathe.