At this point, it is no surprise that communication is one of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s administration’s weakest points.
There is a problem with rerouting a somewhat mature political party’s way of doing politics that is still not fully adapted to social media’s real-time reactions. There are also flaws regarding the best way to convey a message in more “old-school” formats. However, the contestants in the communication battle should at least implicitly agree to dispute the narrative advantage in good faith.
Not even the worst floods in almost a century in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state, which victimized almost 150 people (and counting) while forcing over 600,000 more out of their homes, have been immune to the fake news industry structured by the far right on social media, with dire results for those in need.
While Lula could use television and radio statements to the nation and daily live pressers — some tried-and-tested methods — to establish official communication, convey his empathy toward those who are suffering, and announce measures to aid or fund reconstruction efforts, it must be considered that the battle with merchants of lies is uneven against those striving for truth.
And that becomes more difficult when even official media vehicles fall victim to disinformation.
It only took a few days after the tragedy, amid a nationwide call for solidarity towards the millions affected by the floods, for the first false bits of information to spread.
Some of them were the usual suspects trying to discredit the federal government’s relief efforts — like Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of former President Jair Bolsonaro and a representative of Steve Bannon’s far-far-right Movement in Brazil.
While Rio Grande do Sul flooded, Eduardo Bolsonaro and some of his father’s...
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