The dynamics of the Brazilian digital public space on Twitter ¹

A dinâmica do espaço público digital brasileiro no Twitter

La dinámica del espacio público digital brasileño en Twitter

This paper investigates the state of the Brazilian digital public space in 2022 on Twitter, focusing on the impact of digital communication technologies. Our study employs exploratory descriptive analysis with two main layers. Firstly, we map the Brazilian media digital space using hyperlinks from articles by journalists. Secondly, we analyze the influence of these media sites on Twitter by studying how URLs circulate among tweets from federal legislators of the 56th legislature. Through this research, we aim to understand how traditional media, native digital news sites, political elites, and their challengers engage in and contest this space for visibility and influence. Additionally, we examine legislators’ perceptions of these information sites, considering their parties’ ideological leanings. The results indicate that right-wing and far-right actors share more cohesive and ideologically aligned sources, often from hyperpartisan or disinformative outlets, while the left and center-left display a more dispersed and hybrid pattern.

Keywords:
Public space; Brazil; digital media; legislators; ideology