The Listening Post

Brazil: Behind the Dilma Rousseff impeachment story

What is driving the story in Brazil, corruption or the media? Plus, how messaging apps are reshaping how news is shared.

On The Listening Post this week: What’s driving the story in Brazil – is it corruption or is it the media? Plus, how messaging apps are changing the way the news gets shared.

Brazil: Unravelling the impeachment story

The political crisis engulfing Brazil has polarised the country and driven big headlines around the world. This week we analyse coverage of the impeachment vote against President Dilma Rousseff, the political power struggle behind it and the media powerhouses shaping the Brazilian news narrative.

Talking us through the Brazil impeachment story are: Fabio Zanini, political editor, Folha de Sao Paulo; Alex Cuadros, journalist and author of Brazillionaires; Olga Bailey, lecturer, Nottingham Trent University; and Jairo Lugo-Ocando, professor of journalism, University of Sheffield.

On our radar

  • More murders in Bangladesh, an English language professor and the editor of a gay rights advocacy magazine are the latest victims.
  • Dozens of journalists are arrested in Cairo as Egypt moves to quell protests.
  • Days after the Panama Papers revelations, two whistleblowers and a journalist responsible for the 2014 Luxembourg Leaks story are facing trial.

Messaging the news

More people are now using mobile messaging apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, WeChat and Kakao Talk than social media networks like Facebook, Twitter and Weibo. News outlets have cottoned on to the trend and are messaging headlines directly to your phone. But there’s more to look out for: Rumours, propaganda and even some political discussions that you cannot have as easily on the web.

Talking us through the story are: Eytan Oren, CEO, Block Party; Jason Q. Ng, research fellow, Citizen Lab; and Hao Junshi, director of New Media, Global Times.