Media practices in the Brazilian mobilizations of 2013

Abstract

This article discusses how a series of national mobilizations in Brazil, in 2013, embedded a relevant debate around the social judgment regarding journalistic practices and a consequential “desire of reform” towards an “ideal journalism”. I will also discuss the assumption that community and alternative media help, on a regular basis, to develop journalism and improve democracy. The reflection is based on a two-step approach. The first step consists in the observation of the evolution of mainstream media covering during the protests, through the analysis of the front pages of the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. The second refers to the inclusion of claims related to media in the demonstrations and its roots in the struggles for media democratization in the country, and counts on interviews with 11 Brazilian media activists.