Fact checking e desinformação de gênero nas eleições presidenciais de 2022: a atuação da agência Lupa no Instagram

Abstract

Gendered disinformation, a concept that emerged within the broader field of disinformation and communication studies, has been widely used by the Brazilian conservative wing as a political strategy to disseminate large-scale lies about women and minorities. In recent years, this form of disinformation has been identified in the discourse of politicians such as former president Jair Bolsonaro, one of the key figures responsible for promoting what has been labeled as “gender ideology,” which has become a classic example of this category. In light of this, the present work aims to identify, drawing from content analysis and the concept of gendered disinformation, the fact-checks conducted by the Lupa agency during the second round of the 2022 presidential elections on its Instagram profile.From this point, we thematically categorized the topics and identified the meanings produced in the disinformation process, highlighting, for quantitative analysis, those linked to gender disinformation. Lupa does not have a specific manual for covering these issues, nor did it engage in prebunking posts on Instagram. Nevertheless, the outlet maintains a range of partnerships and participates in events with sectors of society dedicated to media literacy. Among the findings of this research, the importance of imagery in fact-checks stands out for the users who follow the page, as many of them, based on their comments, appear to already have a pre-established agenda.