Expansions and Retractions of Freedoms in the Brazilian Media System: Mechanisms of Media Accountability and Capture

This article explores mechanisms of media capture (Schiffrin, 2021; Stiglitz, 2017) and accountability (Aznar, 2005; Bertrand, 1999/2002) alongside contributions from the political economy of communication (Bolaño, 2000; Brittos, 2022) to examine the expansion and retraction of freedoms related to the right to communication. It provides examples of how these dynamics manifest in the configuration of the Brazilian media system. The study begins by analysing how the right to communication and its implications were introduced into international debates on the construction of democratic societies in the post-World War II era. The economic, political, and socio-cognitive dimensions of these mechanisms are then related to the Brazilian context. Economically, the concentration of media ownership in Brazil has led to regulatory gaps, restricted plurality, and, more recently, reshaped communication policy dynamics through digital platforms. Politically, instances of capture have weakened accountability mechanisms and reduced social participation in Brazil’s public media system. The final considerations highlight the limits and possibilities of various models of regulation, funding, and social representation in the media as strategies to counter its capture and expand freedoms.