Communication and Culture in Brazil - Dialogues with the Political Economy of Communication and Culture
Welcome to another episode of our podcast on the political economy of communication and culture. My name is Daniele Rodrigues, and today we will discuss the book "Communication and Culture in Brazil: Dialogues with the Political Economy of Communication and Culture," published in 2018. This work is a result of a colloquium on the political economy of communication and culture organized by the Rui Barbosa Foundation and the Federal Fluminense University, among others, coordinated by researchers Eula Dantas Taveira Cabral and Adilson Vaz Cabral Filho. The book features contributions from several respected authors in the field, including Murilo César Ramos, Patrícia Bandeira de Mello, Otávio Pena Pieranti, Márcia Correia e Castro, and others. It aims to foster public discourse on cultural and media spheres, exploring topics such as the media landscape in Brazil, the significance of communication democratization, the rights and duties of citizens concerning media, and the roles of society and the state in these contexts. The colloquia held in 2017 aimed to gather activists and researchers to analyze and discuss these issues, resulting in three events at the Rui Barbosa Foundation. The first chapter, written by Eula and Adilson Cabral, explores the importance of political economy for understanding Brazilian media, highlighting the dynamics between media power and society. They argue for the necessity of media regulation and outline key concepts like media concentration, democratization, and the impact of oligopolies. The book provides insights into the Brazilian media landscape, drawing distinctions from other Latin American countries, emphasizing the clash between profit-seeking media enterprises and a society yearning for democratization. It also discusses the potential for a human rights-based media framework and the role of the state in ensuring democratic and decentralized media structures. In subsequent chapters, the book tackles topics such as the communication policies of the Workers' Party during its governance, particularly under Presidents Lula and Dilma Rousseff, and the implications of media monopolization for electoral outcomes. The analysis reveals gaps in addressing media regulation despite opportunities during their tenure and critiques the party's dealing with Brazilian media. This book ultimately seeks to inform readers about the complex dynamics of communication and culture in Brazil and the broader implications for political discourse and citizen engagement.