Abstract dell'evento

In his first public remarks since leaving office, Barack Obama addressed the growing concern of political polarization in the US. Speaking at a university event, the former president emphasized that finding common ground is crucial for addressing pressing national issues and maintaining a healthy democracy. The challenge becomes even more pronounced when considering the impact of digital communications. However, both in the United States and many other countries worldwide, recovering that common ground has proven increasingly difficult.

Polarization is not inherently a threat to democracy, but in specific forms—such as destructive polarization (Esau et al., 2023)—it is highly detrimental to democratic processes.

This phenomenon is particularly evident because, in many different societies, liberal democracy is eroding. In these contexts, hybrid media ecosystems and their unique sociotechnical features play a crucial role in the deterioration of public spheres (Casal Bértoa & Rama, 2021; Cesarino, 2022). This deterioration manifests in several ways: [1] breakdown of communication, [2] erosion of interaction channels and trust, [3] discrediting and dismissing information, [4] erasure of complexities and differences, and [5] amplification of extreme voices. What would happen if political polarization within these digital spaces no longer allowed for debate, with no possibility of turning back?

This one-day event provides a platform for scholars to explore how these interaction patterns on digital media impact societies in the Global South. Specifically, we will examine the influence of media ecosystems on anti-democratic discourses in Latin America and the participatory aspects of disinformation revealed by recent research. Through this lens, we aim to shed light on the complex dynamics of destructive polarization in these regions.

Beyond the United States: Exploring Political Polarization in Hybrid Media Systems within a Post-Pandemic World
Augusto Valeriani (University of Bologna, Italy)

This presentation delves into the intricate dynamics of political polarization within media and political ecosystems beyond the United States, offering a critical examination of how this phenomenon can be studied across diverse national contexts. By focusing on Italy—a country with a distinct political and media landscape—we will explore the unique challenges in comprehending and analyzing polarization, particularly in the complex, evolving realities of the post-pandemic era.
We will investigate the multifaceted implications of polarization for democratic societies, not only considering its dangers but also questioning whether its opposite—political indifference—poses equally significant risks to democratic health. The discussion will extend to an analysis of the media spaces where polarization is most likely to emerge and flourish, and how these environments can either exacerbate or alleviate polarizing tendencies.
Furthermore, we will explore how the hybrid nature of contemporary media systems, characterized by a blend of traditional and digital media, influences the development of polarization. This will include an examination of how individual media diets and consumption patterns intersect with personal attitudes, socio-political conditions, and broader societal issues, ultimately shaping the trajectories of both polarization and depolarization within modern democracies.

Reverse Influence and Meaningful Disinformation

Marco Bastos (University College Dublin, Ireland)

In this talk, we review the framework informing disinformation studies and the "big disinfo" bureaucracy that emerged to detect and remove problematic content based on assumptions of the cascading activation model. We show that this framework reduces disinformation to a behavioral problem and downplays the participatory and ritualistic dimension of disinformation, which can organize information overflow into meaningful narratives. We conclude by discussing the contentious 2022 Brazilian election and the notion that disinformation campaigns are conceived as strategic deceptions and manipulation attacks, with our results foregrounding instead the social production of disinformation, a process that is participatory and fortuitous, originally devised by grassroots activists, and only later appropriated by political elites. The talk concludes with a discussion on ‘bottom-up’ forms of disinformation flowing from sparsely distributed communities to the political elite and its consequences for disinformation research.

Media Ecosystems and Anti-Democratic Discourses in Latin America: Disinformation, Polarization and Impact
Raquel Recuero (Federal University of Pelotas / Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)

In this talk, we will discuss the growth of anti-democratic discourses in Latin America and how the current media ecosystem provides the infrastructure that supports and influences these discourses, thereby legitimizing and strengthening their narratives. Our focus will be on disinformation narratives, grammar, and polarization strategies. We will also debate how key players contribute to the propagation of extremism, which has resulted in similar — yet varied — impacts across Latin America. We will examine cases from Argentina, Bolivia, and Brazil to illustrate these dynamics, discussing methods and results.

The Brazilian Digital Battlefield: Investigating The Dynamics Of Political Information Campaigns In Post-Bolsonaro Era
Giada Marino, Bruna Almeida Paroni, Fabio Giglietto (University of Urbino Carlo Bo)

The 2022 Brazilian presidential elections and subsequent events highlight a significant period of political polarization and misinformation, particularly on social media platforms like Facebook. This study investigates the dynamics of misinformation campaigns on Facebook in the context of Brazil's political shifts, focusing on the period from the 2022 elections to the aftermath of the attempted coup on January 8, 2023. Utilizing a mixed methods approach and an innovative news alert system, we analyzed three months of links shared in a coordinated fashion leading up to the first anniversary of the attempted coup. Our findings reveal a bipartisan battlefield of political discourse, with a scenario characterized by divergence in accounts’ political alignment. We, in fact, identified two primary networks of political Facebook accounts: one supporting former President Jair Bolsonaro and another backing President Lula. Interestingly, we observed Lula supporters repeatedly share content criticizing or mocking Bolsonaro, his family members, and his supporters within pro-Bolsonaro groups. Moreover, these posts often receive a substantial number of comments and minor reactions and shares. Future research will expand on these findings by examining a year's worth of Facebook posts from these networks to explore changes in topics and strategies over time. The presentation will thus discuss the study's advancement outcomes in-depth, contributing to understanding how Brazilian political factions’ supporters utilize social media to influence public opinion and the implications for democracy in the digital age.

Schedule

Room D6 (D floor / -1 floor level)

10:30 - 10:45 Opening remarks

10:45 - 11:30 First slot + Discussion (Marco Bastos)

11:30 - 12.15 Second slot + Discussion (Augusto Valeriani)

12.15 - 14:00 Lunch break

14:00 - 14:45 Third slot + Discussion (Raquel Recuero)

14.45 - 15:15 Coffee break

15:15 - 16:00 Fourth slot + Discussion (Giada Marino, Bruna Almeida Paroni, Fabio Giglietto)

16:00 - 16:15 Greetings and final remarks