The Media Discourse in the Context of Evandro's Case

A Debate Based on Thompson, Bourdieu and Baudrillard

Abstract

This paper analyzes how the media discourse, interpellated by the discourse of the State, contributed to the construction of narratives that reinforce cultural and religious prejudices in the context of the Evandro Case. The research used a qualitative approach, based on Discourse Analysis, based on the concepts of symbolic power (Thompson, 2008; Bourdieu, 1989), hyper-reality (Baudrillard, 1985), and others. The corpus was composed of statements from headlines in the newspaper Diário Popular and the title "Operation Black Magic", which show discursive practices aligned with religious intolerance. The analysis revealed how the repetition of terms such as "witches" and "satanic sacrifice" contributed to the construction of a hegemonic narrative, reinforcing stigmas and promoting a hyper-reality. This articulation between media and State legitimized prejudices and naturalized symbolic violence, erasing contradictions in official discourses. It is concluded that the media played an active role in the propagation of ideologies that influenced public opinion and contributed to the early social trial of the accused, highlighting the importance of critical reflections on the role of the media in contemporary society.