Framing of the Fantástico and Domingo Espetacular programs in the coverage of the Brasília invasion

Abstract

One week after the inauguration of the president elected in 2022 in Brazil, the headquarters of the Three Branches of the Republic were attacked by voters who did not accept the election results. These attacks were widely reported by the media, both on the day of the events and throughout the unfolding of the case. Therefore, this research aims to analyze the framing present in the coverage of the invasion in Brasília on January 8, 2023, in the programs Fantástico (TV Globo) and Domingo Espetacular (TV Record). To do so, it proposes an understanding of framing theory, identifying existing types in the literature and examining how the same topic is approached by different media outlets. Thus, the research is of a basic nature, containing a qualitative and exploratory approach based on a case study analysis. This study is primarily grounded in the works of Porto (2002), Soares (2006), Antunes (2009), and Rothberg (2007). Upon analyzing the coverage of the two programs, differences were noted in the news framing of the two broadcasters. Fantástico framed the information by highlighting the consequences of the acts for Brazilian democracy. The TV Globo program employed a thematic framing, addressing the case more broadly in a special report. Meanwhile, Domingo Espetacular, on TV Record, emphasized the vandalism of public buildings, using an episodic framing in its briefer coverage.