Fake News and Political Communication in Local Contexts: A Study of the 2024 Municipal Elections in Santa Luzia – PB
Palavras-chave:
fake news, Desinformação Digital, Eleições Municipais, Esfera Pública, Comunicação PolíticaResumo
This article examines the role of fake news in the 2024 municipal electoral process in Santa Luzia, Paraíba (Brazil). The study begins with the premise that disinformation, although a global phenomenon, acquires specific configurations in local contexts by mobilizing networks of trust, affective bonds, and particular communicational circuits. A qualitative approach was employed, combining documentary analysis and interviews with voters, candidates, and local communicators, ensuring anonymity and confidentiality. The findings reveal that false content circulated mainly through WhatsApp and Instagram, influencing public opinion and constraining democratic debate. The research identifies a disinformation ecosystem sustained by symbolic attack strategies, weak institutional responses, and voters’ ambiguous perceptions. It concludes that addressing disinformation requires attention to local sociocultural dynamics, surpassing the limits of merely technical regulatory measures.