"A raiz de todos os nossos problemas": economistas, intelectuais e imprensa no Brasil das contrarreformas

Abstract

The study analyzes the relationships between the press, ideology, and intellectuals in the context of neoliberal hegemony and the consequent reconfiguration of the debate on the (re)commodification of social protection policies in Brazil. It considers the role of organic intellectuals (GRAMSCI, 1978) within epistemic communities (HAAS, 1992), with a focus on the performance of economics experts in three major Brazilian media outlets – O Globo, Folha de S. Paulo, and O Estado de São Paulo – during the labor reform of 2017 and the pension reform of 2019. The study adopted a multi-methodological approach, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses, with materials collected from the newspapers' websites. The units of analysis included framings and voices present in articles, opinion columns, reports, and interviews. The main findings indicate a bias in favor of the reforms, with a predominance of economists aligned with the mainstream of economic theory. Additionally, the research identified the hegemony of an epistemic community composed mainly of economists, businesspeople, and journalists, contrasted with a counter-hegemonic and minority epistemic community primarily formed by representatives of unions, social movements, and non-governmental organizations. The favorable framings were predominant and justified the broad support for the reforms based on neoliberal premises, validated by the technical credibility of the issuers.