Media in Postcolonial Brazil: Nationalism, Hegemony and Modernity

Abstract

Carnival, samba, soccer, Rio de Janeiro, Amazon rainforest are the likely words one might get when asking an ordinary person about Brazil. If this person is a man, he will probably add the word ‘women.’ Indeed, Brazil is mostly known as a place where one can enjoy diverse cultural manifestations and exotic and abundant natural resources, such as beaches, rivers, forests, and so on. These attractions make hundreds of tourists go there to appreciate them. By doing so, they have the opportunity to have a better understanding of the country as whole, but it is undeniable the fact that the view they get from this kind of immersion is still a limited one. Nevertheless, the majority of the people get most stereotypes from the media, as these representations are frequently reproduced by the most powerful media industries around the world. The present work intends to highlight the role of media in postcolonial Brazil with respect to nationalism and modernity.