This Symposium will explore the relationships between social media and politics in contemporary Brazil. The rise of social media deeply altered the way political information is produced, disseminated, and mobilized by political parties at a time of heightened public distrust. Join us for a unique opportunity to learn from experts on Brazilian media and politics.
Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Location: Levis Faculty Center, Room 210
Important: Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Seating is limited.
Kindly RSVP by March 31, 2026, at: bit.ly/brazilsymposium
Program
8:30 a.m.
Welcome and Breakfast
9:00 a.m.
The Struggle Over Political Memory on Digital Platforms
Raiana de Carvalho, Assistant Professor, Furman University
Analyzing digital responses to the 2018 assassination of Councilwoman Marielle Franco and the 2023 Brasília attacks, this presentation examines how digital platforms shape political memory. It highlights social media’s dual role in amplifying right-wing populism while also sustaining practices of mourning, resistance, and demands for justice.
10:00 a.m.
The Role of Social Media in News Coverage
Raquel Mourão, Associate Professor, University of Miami
This presentation traces the evolution of social media from a bottom-up resource during the 2013 protests to a top-down institutional source during the Bolsonaro administration. It further examines the January 8 riots in Brasília as a hybrid communicative space in which journalists reported alongside influencers who blurred the boundaries between humor and news.
11:00 a.m.
Coffee Break
11:15 a.m.
The Free Brazil Movement and the Limits of Digital Activism
Stuart Davis, Associate Professor, Baruch College, CUNY
This presentation explores the trajectory of the Free Brazil Movement (MBL), which successfully mobilized against the Workers’ Party yet struggled to shape the political landscape that followed, dominated by Bolsonarismo. It examines the broader paradox of digital activism: its capacity to dismantle regimes contrasted with its limitations in building durable political institutions.
12:15 p.m.
Roundtable Discussion
Moderated by Alexandre Gonçalves, Institute of Communications Research, College of Media
1:00 p.m.
Lunch
Contact Information
For questions, please email: gonca@illinois.edu
Sponsorship
This event is co-sponsored by the Institute of Communications Research (ICR) at the College of Media.