MEDIA DISTRUST AS A CATALYST FOR POPULIST MOBILIZATION: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF BRAZIL AND THE PHILIPPINES

This research paper investigates the critical relationship between declining public trust in mainstream media and the rise of populist leaders, using Brazil and the Philippines as comparative case studies. The central argument is that the erosion of media credibility is not merely a symptom but a key enabler of populism. It creates a psychological vacuum characterized by uncertainty and a craving for simple narratives, which populists fill through framing the media as part of the “corrupt elite” and leveraging alternative information ecosystems. This paper employs a qualitative literature review of both secondary sources, including academic journals and books, and primary sources, such as trust surveys and populist rhetoric. The findings confirm that leaders like Jair Bolsonaro and Rodrigo Duterte strategically weaponized media distrust to evade scrutiny, amplify their us-vs-them messages, and mobilize their bases. The results demonstrate that the collapse of shared factual consensus severely damages democratic discourse and empowers populist movements, with significant implications for the health of democracies globally.