MULTIPLATFORM APPROACH
We understand that different communication and information ecosystems cross through contemporary sociability.
That's why we create and maintain continuous and systematic monitoring with collections of data from online communication on various topics in different platforms: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Whatsapp, Telegram, Tiktok, Google Ads and Meta Ads - plus professional media news portals and junk news.
Our research seeks to map the role of each internet space in the organization of disinformation. We develop social science methods combined with computational communication to expand, create and implement research strategies in order to empirically and critically investigate the effects of the media ecosystem on public opinion.
The Political Economy of
Misinformation
Through analysing the business model of digital platforms and online disinformation producers, we map how the industry of influence benefits from the lack of transparency and regulation of internet services. We also identify who is behind these activities and how they generate profit from the manipulation of information.
Environment and
Climate Change
By mapping the online socio-environmental debate, we seek to understand how disinformation narratives and strategies on the destruction of biomes, violence against indigenous peoples and the impact of extractive practices are constructed and disseminated in Brazil.
Science, Noegationism and
Conspiracy theories
Disinformation campaigns aligned with the increasing denial of scientific knowledge permeate the current political scenario and foment conspiracy theory discourse. In this line of research, you can follow projects that analyze scientific production, denialist campaigns and conspiracy theories on networks.
gender misinformation and
hate speech
In this line of research, we map disinformation campaigns and hate speech that attack, defame, violate and devalue women and their rights on digital platforms. We seek to develop computational and digital methods to understand the scale, impact and content of gender misinformation.
Algorithm Studies and
Recommender Systems
Different online platforms operate through recommendation systems with algorithms that generate visibility and relevance, endorse certain contents over others and induce navigation, clicks and plays by users. We study the impacts of these systems on the circulation of online information, on the choices and construction of users' consumption habits.
Politics, Elections and
misinformation
Through cross-platform analyses, we identify public opinion manipulation and political propaganda strategies in Brazil and seek to understand how the online disinformation ecosystem operates in the country.
