The article discusses processes of mythification employed to support Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro's controversial reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mainstream and "new" media work together in the construction of myths with political ends.
The way Bolsonaro’s message was constructed and communicated in the 2018 Brazilian elections triggered a hybrid mobilization power from his supporters that guaranteed his winning. Digital platforms were particularly instrumental to this.
Bolsonaro's Brazil
File
In the second half of 2018, Brazil faced one of its most polarized presidential elections. Since Bolsonaro took office, the world has been trying to make sense of Bolsonaro's Brazil. Fake News, Memes, WhatsApp Groups, the Amazon fires and Bolsonaro's populism: somehow it is all connected. Diggit Magazine tries to digg deeper into contemporary Brazilian political evolutions.
According to Daniel Silva, the Amazon Fires can best be considered as political talk: as digitally formatted practices trying to communicate with Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro has harnessed new and legacy media in building an image of authenticity. This sucessful media strategy has helped catapult him to the presidency, despite his tendency towards offensive statements and hyper nationalism.
Big Man politics used to be an exotic and marginal phenomenon, but algoritmic populists such as Bolsonaro, Trump, Orbán and others made it one of the dominant formats of 21st century power.
