We’re covering the transformation of Brazilians’ news consumption — social media rises, print falls. The launch of WhatsApp Pay. And the Supreme Court hitting back at far-right activists.
Social media getting more eyeballs for news than TV
Launched today, the Reuters Digital News Report shows that, for the first time, social media has overtaken television in terms of news media consumption. That could be linked to the fact that 84 percent of Brazilians, more than any other nationality, have deep concerns about what is real and what is fake when it comes to the news.
- The report only takes into account people who have consumed the news over the past month. In Brazil’s case, that means the data comes from richer and more connected users, rather than a nationally representative sample.
Why it matters. The use of social media has democratized information in Brazil. It has also created an environment that favors the scalable spread of disinformation.
Politics. Among the 40 surveyed countries, local politicians were described as the leading disinformation actors. Brazil — alongside the U.S., the Philippines, and South Africa — had the highest rate of people who agreed with that statement.
- In the 2018 election, every single major...