Science journalism in the Brazilian media: A qualitative analysis of publication volume, authorship, and the originality of news stories
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9125.v31i1p39-57Keywords:
science journalism, Brazilian media, digital media, comparative study, science communicationAbstract
The article investigates how six Brazilian media outlets produce science journalism, analyzing authorship, publication volume, article originality, and editorial models based on 869 pieces collected between December 2024 and January 2025. Marked asymmetries emerge: a predominance of journalists and interns, limited participation by scientists and science journalists, and extensive use of republished content, particularly on generalist portals. Specialized outlets, such as Pesquisa Fapesp, invest in original production and greater technical rigour. The study concludes that economic and organizational arrangements shape distinct practices, with direct implications for the quality, depth, and diversity of scientific coverage, as well as for scientific literacy and social learning about science.
Downloads
References
ALBAGLI, Sarita. Divulgação científica: informação científica para cidadania. Ciência da Informação, Brasília, v. 25, n. 3, p. 396-404, 1996.
ARNOLD, Miriam; GOLDSCHMITT, Mascha; RIGOTTI, Thomas. Dealing with Information Overload: A Comprehensive Review. Frontiers in Psychology, [S. l.], v. 14, 1122200, 2023. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1122200.
BUENO, Wilson da Costa. Jornalismo científico: conceitos e funções. Ciência e Cultura, São Paulo, v. 37, n. 9, p. 1420-1427, 1985.
CAMPOS, Juliana; SILVA, Taline; ALBUQUERQUE, Ulysses. Observação participante e diário de campo: quando utilizar e como analisar? In: ALBUQUERQUE, Ulysses Paulino de; LUCENA, Reinaldo Farias Paiva de; CUNHA, Luiz Vital Fernandes Cruz da (org.). Métodos e técnicas na pesquisa etnobiológica e etnoecológica. Recife: NUPEEA, 2021. p. 95-112.
FERREIRA, Marcelino. Os equívocos paradoxais da transparência. Comunicação e Sociedade, Braga, v. 46, e024017, 2024. DOI: 10.17231/comsoc.46(2024).5706.
KNIESS, Andressa Butture; COMEL, Naiza; MARQUES, Francisco Paulo Jamil. Checagem de fatos e autoridade jornalística no Brasil: uma análise do Fato ou Fake e do Estadão Verifica. Comunicação e Sociedade, Braga, v. 46, e024020, 2024. DOI: 10.17231/comsoc.46(2024).5665.
KUNCZIK, Michael. Conceitos de jornalismo: norte e sul: manual de comunicação. Tradução de Rafael Varela Jr. São Paulo: EdUSP, 1997.
LIU, Jiahui; DOLAN, Peter; PEDERSEN, Elin Rønby. Personalized News Recommendation Based On Click Behavior. In: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INTELLIGENT USER INTERFACES, 15., 2010, Hong Kong. Proceedings [...]. New York: ACM, 2010. p. 31-40. DOI: 10.1145/1719970.1719976.
MARTENS, Bertin; AGUIAR, Luis; GOMEZ-HERRERA, Estrella; MUELLER-LANGER, Frank. The Digital Transformation of News Media and the Rise of Disinformation and Fake News. (Digital Economy Working Paper 2018-02). Seville: SSRN, 2018. DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.3164170.
MILLER, Jon D.; BARRINGTON, Thomas M. The Acquisition and Retention of Scientific Information. Journal of Communication, v. 31, n. 2, p. 178-189, 1981. DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-2466.1981.tb01240.x.
MINAKAWA, Marcia Michie; FRAZÃO, Paulo. A introdução da vacina do HPV no Brasil, a mídia impressa e a desinformação. Comunicação e Sociedade, Braga, v. 46, e024021, 2024. DOI: 10.17231/comsoc.46(2024).5682.
MOTTA-ROTH, Désirée; SCHERER, Anelise Scotti. Popularização da ciência: a interdiscursividade entre ciência, pedagogia e jornalismo. Bakhtiniana, São Paulo, v. 11, n. 2, p. 164-189, 2016. DOI: 10.1590/2176-457323671.
NORRIS, Stephen P.; PHILLIPS, Linda M. How Literacy in its Fundamental Sense is Central to Scientific Literacy. Science Education, [S. l.], v. 87, n. 2, p. 224-240, 2003. DOI: 10.1002/sce.10066.
SANTOS, Boaventura de Sousa. Para além do pensamento abissal: das linhas globais a uma ecologia de saberes. Novos Estudos CEBRAP, São Paulo, n. 79, p. 71-94, 2007. DOI: 10.1590/S0101-33002007000300004.
SERRANO-PUCHE, Javier. Digital Disinformation and Emotions: Exploring the Social Risks of Affective Polarization. International Review of Sociology, [S. l.], v. 31, n. 2, p. 231-245, 2021. DOI: 10.1080/03906701.2021.1947953.
SOUSA, Helena. Castells, M. (2002). A Era da Informação: Economia, Sociedade e Cultura, Vol. I, A Sociedade em Rede. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian. Comunicação e Sociedade, Braga, v. 5, p. 168-171, 2004. DOI: 10.17231/comsoc.5(2004).1256.
STAKE, Robert E. Qualitative Case Studies. In: DENZIN, Norman K.; LINCOLN, Yvonna S. (ed.). Strategies of Qualitative Inquiry. 3. ed. Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2008. p. 119-149.
UNDURRAGA, Tomás. Making News, Making the Economy: Technological Changes and Financial Pressures in Brazil. Cultural Sociology, [S. l.], v. 11, n. 1, p. 77-96, 2017. DOI: 10.1177/1749975516631586.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Felipe Floriano Silva, Mayara de Carvalho Santos, Gildo Girotto Júnior
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
I authorize the publication of the submitted article and soon the copyrights to the magazine, in the printed and electronic version, if it is approved after the evaluation of the reviewers.
I understand that readers may use this article without prior request, provided the source and authorship are mentioned. Readers are not authorized to use this article for reproduction, in whole or in part, for commercial purposes.
