Brazil: Media not interested in issues leading up to protest

Image on international TV, June 2013

June 28, 2013. Boston – Prior to the eruption of protests in Brazil, foreign TV news showed little interest in the issues of the country, reporting only minimally on sports, Brazilian society and the economy at the expense of underlying domestic and social issues, according to Media Tenor International.

Media Tenor found that in the last year and a half, foreign media only reported above awareness levels in January 2013, when the fire erupted at the Kiss Nightclub, and in June, when the mass protests erupted all over Brazil.

“Single issue reporting can drastically change perceptions of a country in key foreign markets,” notes Casey Chancellor, analyst at Media Tenor. “Without an ongoing media presence, countries like Brazil are at risk of being reduced to a conflict ridden country, which could effect foreign investments and deter tourists which provide important economic development.”

Analysis of the media topics discussed in the last 18 months shows that the hosting of the World Cup, optimism towards a developing economy, and the prospects for a Brazilian pope were positive image drivers for the country. However, negative media focus on the protest events have changed media tonality and overshadowed these more positive issues

“Clearly there are deep-seeded domestic, social and political issues in Brazil that have not been reported on leading up to the protests,” notes Chancellor. “This lack of visibility shakes the credibility of the Brazilian government and may have a negative effect on Brazil´s hosting of the World Cup. How the media frames the progression of these protests will be influential for international perceptions of Brazil´s prospects moving forward,” adds Chancellor.

So far, third party support for President Rouseff´s declarations of reform are absent from the media, while coaches and athletes are the most visible to quell concerns over moving the Cup.