The indigenous issue and journalistic intelligibility

continuities and changes in Folha de S.Paulo's coverage of Acampamento Terra Livre 2021-2022

Abstract

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on the indigenous issue in Brazilian journalism. In this article, we examine how journalism has incorporated this agenda recently, adjusting its forms of public representation of indigenous peoples. Our research aims to contribute to the understanding of these journalistic representations of indigenous peoples, specifically investigating the changes and continuities in this approach, which are seminal to the perception of events related to the history of the present. To do this, we chose to analyze how the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported on the indigenous issue during the Acampamento Terra Livre in 2021 and 2022, one of the largest indigenous manifestations in the country. The newspaper was chosen for being one of the main communication outlets in Brazil in terms of national circulation and for being an important source of news during relevant political moments in the country's recent history. We argue that the journalistic coverage of indigenous issues is often associated with environmental concerns, deforestation, and indigenous territories. Through a case study during the Acampamento Terra Livre, we analyze how the news is shaped through language, source selection, and context, highlighting a problematic coverage that stereotypes indigenous peoples and ignores certain important issues.