Carolina Matos - Profile on Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Videos by Carolina Matos

Talk delivered for the De-Colonising Development event for practioners LIDC

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List of publications by Carolina Matos

Young adults across platforms

, US. Matos' research is the area of gender, media and development and international communicatio... more , US. Matos' research is the area of gender, media and development and international communications. She investigates the role of communications for social change in processes of development, paying particular attention to structural inequalities of gender, race and class. A previous journalist, Matos is the author of four books, various chapters and articles, including the book Gender, health communications and reproductive health in international development (McGill Queen's University Press, 2023).

International Journal of Media and Cultural Politicstics, 2024

How do young members of disadvantaged communities in countries like Brazil, which have been affec... more How do young members of disadvantaged communities in countries like Brazil, which have been affected by attacks from far-right populist politicians on women's rights, make sense of messages on reproductive health in the misinformation age? Two focus groups were conducted in 2021 in collaboration with the Brazilian NGO Reprolatina to assess how disadvantaged women's groups from Campinas, Sao Paulo, were making sense of messaging on reproductive health within a highly politically polarised local context. The findings revealed also how many women from lower income groups are exposed to a lack of information, as well as even 'myths', around fertility treatments and reproductive health matters in the mediated public sphere. The results showed how these groups of women from different age groups felt that there is need for better coverage of reproductive health, and of 'scientific' information on health matters more generally, both in the mainstream media as well as online. This study concludes in favour of improving health literacy approaches, as well as the overall communications on sexuality and reproductive health.

Revisita de Comunicacao Dialogica, 2021

November, 2020

Women in developing and developed countries can still suffer from constraints on their ability to... more Women in developing and developed countries can still suffer from constraints on their ability to exercise their reproductive rights, being subject to gendered norms and forms of control over their bodies and encountering various difficulties to accessing healthcare services. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) thus continue to matter for the advancement of gender equality, whilst communications when strategically used can shape support for progressive policies. This project seeks to advance research on gender development and advocacy communications for social change. A core question asked here is how can communications be better used for advocacy on SRHR? Making use of a mixed methods approach, this research engages with a sample of 52 feminist and health NGOs, located in both the North and the South. In depth interviews with gender experts from the organizations were combined with a survey applied to the communication professionals, followed by content and discourse analysis of their institutional websites and social media engagement. This paper provides a condensed examination of the early research findings and core theoretical frameworks, arguing over the need to deconstruct discourses around SRHR under challenging times and concluding that NGOs need better communication strategies and practices in their advocacy communication efforts.

Rosalind Gill: " we don't just want more cake, we want the whole bakery! " 1 Rosalind Gill: " não... more Rosalind Gill: " we don't just want more cake, we want the whole bakery! " 1 Rosalind Gill: " não queremos só mais bolo, queremos a padaria inteira! "

Books by Carolina Matos

McGill Queen's University Press, 2023

To this day, women globally are subjected to forms of control over their bodies, and their abilit... more To this day, women globally are subjected to forms of control over their bodies, and their ability to exercise their reproductive rights in particular is still constrained. Amid a rise of challenges to the advancement of women’s rights, including the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, sexual and reproductive health rights are at the forefront of conversations about the advancement of gender equality.

Chapter 2 -Postmodernism, equality and feminism: current contemporary issues What is feminism? ge... more Chapter 2 -Postmodernism, equality and feminism: current contemporary issues What is feminism? gender equality and why it matters Post-modernism and post-feminism: contemporary gender representations Part II Chapter 3 -Gender and the media: international representations and stereotyping The "Third World woman" in the West and issues of stereotyping Post-colonialism and "The Third world women" in international media representations Part III 1 Chapter 4 -"Women in the Third World": contextualising the Brazilian women in an age of globalization Feminists movements and struggles in Latin America and Brazil: from the past to the present The myth of the "Brazilian women": versions of femininity, the body and beauty Chapter 5 -The media, advertising and images of femininity: a case study of images and representations in Brazilian commercials and magazines Gender representations and the Brazilian media: an assessment Advertising and sexism: from female magazines to beer commercials and International Women's Day Part IV Chapter 6 -Feminism, politics and democracy Gender, political philosophy and democracy Feminism, politics and state Chapter 7 -Gender politics, equality and new technologies for development ICTS for development: cyberfeminism, blogging and the Internet Female political representation and gender politics in Brazil Online media activism and new feminist websites: from "Think Olga" to "Blogueiras Feministas" Part V Chapter 8 -Gender, development and democracy: future challenges for transnational feminisms and global gender justice Gender inequality and the media: future challenges and suggestions for reform 2 Constructing avenues for democratic change: the future gender equality in Latin America and Brazil -Concluding remarks Bibliography and references Appendices Interviewees biography List of acronyms 3 Preface and acknowledgements The idea for this book emerged during the course of the research conducted for my previous work on the role of public service broadcasting and the public media in the democratization project in Brazil. One chapter of the book focused on the growing presence and role of new technologies in the country, and particularly the use that female politicians made of social media during the 2010 presidential elections. From the material I gathered then, I saw two important trends 4 developing in Brazil as a result of the re-democratization process: mainly the escalation and intensity of the pressures for social inclusion by various social movements and other civil society groups in Brazil in the last decade, who have been historically marginalised from mainstream society and politics, and the ways in which these demands were increasingly assuming a female face, both in the realm of politics and within wider Brazilian society and everyday life. A lot has changed in Latin America in the last 50 years, including the decline in the traditional hegemony of the US and a shift away from authoritarian forms of government towards more stable liberal democracies which are more socially inclusive and committed to equality. This is a continent which has been traditionally known also for having developed a strong "macho" and male dominated culture, and in the case of Brazil this is present throughout Brazilian society, politics and the media, standing in sharp contrast with a history of vibrant feminist struggles and mobilization. The development of a nation, and the strengthening of its democracy, is closely connected to the ways in which it treats its citizens and grants them citizenship rights and participation. A sustainable and inclusive growth is also dependent on affording more equal opportunities to diverse groups in Brazilian society, thus reducing inequality and advancing the rights of women and other minorities in the polity. Moreover, as Guy Berger, director of the division for freedom of expression and media development from Unesco has argued in the foreword of UNESCO/IAMCR's 2014 report of the Global Alliance on Media and Gender, there is significant scope for the media to make a much more substantial contribution to the advancement of women's rights.

Midia e politica na America Latina

Jornalismo e politica democratica no Brasil

In the aftermath of the dictatorship , Brazil shifted away from the state to embrace market liber... more In the aftermath of the dictatorship , Brazil shifted away from the state to embrace market liberal democracy and global capitalism. The mainstream press in the last 18 years since the end of the military regime has experienced the tensions of attending to the public interest in response to the country's democratisation whilst maximising consumerism approaches to news due to market pressures. The media acquired more credibility amid the growth of press freedom. Public debate and independence from the state also increased and liberal journalism cultures of professionalism and objectivity expanded in newsrooms to the detriment of partisanship routines. Worries concerning the media's adherence to the public interest and the limits imposed on the enhancement of debate are growing though in the light of the continuous predominance of the market in the communication sector. This thesis discusses these realms of conflict by focusing on key historical and political events which contributed to re-shape power structures in Brazil. It debates the role assumed by the press and journalists in the democratisation process (1984-2002). This research has focused on four case studies which include: a) the 1984 direct elections campaign (Diretas Já); b) the first presidential elections of 1989 followed by the 1992 impeachment; c) the elections of 1994, which occurred amid the launch of the real stabilization plan, and d) the 2002 contest which elected the first left-wing government in

Media and politics in Latin America: globalization, democracy and identity

Papers by Carolina Matos

This study examined how women from lower income groups from Campinas Brazil responded to health m... more This study examined how women from lower income groups from Campinas Brazil responded to health messages on sexuality and reproductive health rights (SRHR). As part of the expansion of a larger GCRF i project, two focus groups with various women were conducted in 2021 by the researcher in collaboration with Reprolatina. Applying a feminist standpoint, the study argues for the relevance of focus groups as an important method for 'empowering' participants, connecting individual circumstances to wider societal influences (

Course Design and Development

Media and Politics in Latin America

Media and Politics in Latin America, 2012

Jornalismo e politica democratica no Brasil

As transformacoes ocorridas na sociedade e na politica desde a decada de 1980 sao tema de "J... more As transformacoes ocorridas na sociedade e na politica desde a decada de 1980 sao tema de "Jornalismo e Politica Democratica no Brasil". O livro apresenta a importância da imprensa nessas mudancas e aborda a contribuicao do jornalismo no processo democratico brasileiro. A autora examina quatro periodos politicos distintos do pais: a manifestacao das Diretas Ja em 1984, as eleicoes de 1989, o Plano Real e o governo FHC, em 1994 e, por fim, a disputa presidencial de 2002.

Talk delivered for the De-Colonising Development event for practioners LIDC

7 views

Young adults across platforms

International Journal of Media and Cultural Politicstics, 2024

Revisita de Comunicacao Dialogica, 2021

November, 2020

McGill Queen's University Press, 2023

Midia e politica na America Latina

Jornalismo e politica democratica no Brasil

Media and politics in Latin America: globalization, democracy and identity

Course Design and Development

Media and Politics in Latin America

Media and Politics in Latin America, 2012

Jornalismo e politica democratica no Brasil

Between crisis and cultural emancipation: re-evaluating the role of the public media in the digital age

With the ongoing re-democratization of the social and political institutions in Brazil since the ... more With the ongoing re-democratization of the social and political institutions in Brazil since the mid-80's onwards following the end of the dictatorship (1985), the discussion concerning the strengthening of the public media platform has gained in importance in the last years, ...

This article focuses on the achievements in the field of media democratization in Brazil, underli... more This article focuses on the achievements in the field of media democratization in Brazil, underlining the current challenges that public communication systems face in the light of the persistence of the misuse of these structures by politicians for their own interests. The role that the public media platform can have in the democratic project is examined, including how it can assist policymakers concerning vital national as well as global issues. The slow democratization of Brazil during recent decades, however, has taken place while not altogether disassociated from the authoritarian legacy that has characterized the formation of Brazilian society. Nonetheless, the acknowledgement that the mainstream media have become more professional, including wider voices in the mediated sphere, is not reason enough to proclaim the end of the struggles for media democratization

Postmodernism, equality and feminism: current contemporary issues

Draft paper part of the current book I am working on

Inequality and emancipation: Brazil’s changing role in the world

DESCRIPTION The rise of the BRIC countries, and where does Brazil fit into this?

The colourful reality of Brazilian society – it’s more than football and samba

Feminist media studies in the US and the UK have built a strong tradition of research, which has ... more Feminist media studies in the US and the UK have built a strong tradition of research, which has aimed to look at the correlation between structural gender inequalities in society and how these have been played out in the media. These range from classic studies on soap operas to debates on the sexualization of culture and the construction of forms of femininity within a postfeminist context (i.e. Gill, 2006; McNair, 2002; Ang, 1985; Tuchman at el, 1978). Research on the relationship between gender and the media has arguably become an important arena of inquiry in Latin America. Feminist media studies in countries like Brazil nonetheless is still in need of strengthening and becoming a more robust area of research, despite the emergence of some important work in the field in the last decade (i.e. Ferreira, 2015; Alvarez, 2015: Escosteguy and Messa, 2012). The aim of this paper is to provide a brief critical sketch of some of the research in the field, examining potentialities for fur...

Mediapolis – Revista de Comunicação, Jornalismo e Espaço Público, 2018

This article provides a critical summary of feminist theoretical perspectives on the potential of... more This article provides a critical summary of feminist theoretical perspectives on the potential of online communications for women’s rights, further sketching abrief case study of contemporary Brazilian feminism and the mobilization around women’s rights, particularly in the year 2015. This is done through a discussion of the discursive online practices of websites like Blogueiras Feministas and the NGO Think Olga, part of a wider project (Matos, 2017). Questions asked include how the media can better contribute to assist in gender development, and how online platforms can make a difference. I argue that despite constraints and setbacks, the seeds of a wider transformative influence in the offline world are slowly being planted in a highly fragmented, heterogeneous and erratic blogosphere.

Westminster Papers in Communication and Culture, 2011

Choice Reviews Online, 2009

International Sociology, 2017

In the last decades, the region of Latin America has been through many changes, with the reductio... more In the last decades, the region of Latin America has been through many changes, with the reduction of inequality levels and a political trend which has seen the election of female politicians throughout the continent, including a revival of gender politics and feminist movements. Countries like Brazil are still home to gender discrimination and inequality, with high levels of domestic violence towards women, low levels of political representation, a culture of machismo and the predominance still of stereotypical gender representations in the media. Questions asked include how the media can better contribute to assist in gender development and nation-building. How can online platforms make a difference? This article provides a critical summary of feminist theoretical perspectives on the potential of online communications for the advancement of women’s rights, further providing a brief case study of contemporary Brazilian feminism and the mobilization around women’s rights, particular...

Global Media and National Policies, 2016

It seems to go without saying that Latin American countries find themselves today living in a dif... more It seems to go without saying that Latin American countries find themselves today living in a different political, social and economic context from the dictatorship years of the 1970's and 1980's, and are currently in a process of strengthening liberal democratic politics. This includes the discussion and implementation of media policies and reforms which are better equipped to deal with a rapidly changing technological environment and increase in media outlets, and one which is also capable of boosting a better quality media that serves all citizens in increasingly diverse and complex democracies. Some of the key concerns include public communications structures directed to the public interest and media regulation policies that can guarantee market competition in the sector, undermining a tradition of high media concentration. This chapter provides a critical evaluation of what has been achieved regarding media reform and democratization throughout key countries of the continent. It further aims to provide a critical engagement with some of the successes, as well as ongoing debates, of some of the countries, such as Argentina, as well as highlighting the recent challenges that nations like Brazil face and its future prospects. It argues over the necessity to deepen the debate on the adoption of media regulation policies for the public interest that are capable of moving beyond the black and white arguments that equate regulation with "censorship", seeing in the experiences of the successful approval of Brazil's Marco Civil of the Internet bill, among others, signs of a slow but significant trend towards policies that take into consideration technological changes as well as the common good. Media democratization in the continent parallels other important reforms which are essential for the deepening of democracy, form political to agrarian reform and improvement of public services. The following years will proof to be crucial in further boosting the democratic project.

Globalization, gender politics and the media

Part I-Women and globalization: equality and emancipation " I shall not go back to the remot... more Part I-Women and globalization: equality and emancipation " I shall not go back to the remote annals of antiquity to trace the history of woman; it is sufficient to allow that she has always been either a slave, or a despot, and to remark, that each of these situations equally retards the progress of reason. The grand source of female folly and vice has ever appeared to me to arise from narrowness of mind; and the very constitution of civil governments has put almost insuperable obstacles in the way to prevent the cultivation of female understanding – yet virtue can be built on no other foundation! " Wollstonecraft, M. (1792, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman)

Mass media and globalization

The mass media are seen today as playing a key role in enhancing globalization, facilitating cult... more The mass media are seen today as playing a key role in enhancing globalization, facilitating culture exchange and multiple flows of information and image between countries through international news broadcasts, television programming, new technologies, film and music. If before the 1990's mainstream media systems in most countries of the world were relatively national in scope, since then most communication media have become increasingly global, extending their reach beyond the nation-state to conquer audiences worldwide. International flows of information have been largely assisted by the development of global capitalism, new technologies and the increasing commercialisation of global television, which has occurred as a consequence of the deregulation policies adopted by various countries in Europe and the US in order to permit the proliferation of cable and satellite channels. Globalization theorists have discussed how the cultural dimension of globalization has exercised a pr...

Inequality and emancipation: Brazil's changing role in the world stage

DESCRIPTION The rise of the BRIC countries, and where does Brazil fit into this?

Perspectivas internacionais sobre o papel da mídia no desenvolvimento nacional  Como diz Norris ... more Perspectivas internacionais sobre o papel da mídia no desenvolvimento nacional  Como diz Norris (2004), sistemas de mídia podem fortalecer a boa governança e promover o desenvolvimento se houver uma imprensa livre capaz de realizar a função de cão-de-guarda, investigando o poder e agindo como um forum cívico de debate entre os interesses conflitantes da sociedade  Uma mídia independente mais balançeada e livre só pode operar se esta não estiver sujeita às pressões políticas e/ou econômicas (i.e. Hallin e Mancini, 2004) A literatura internacional sobre democratização da mídia (i.e. Voltmer e Schmitt-Beck, 2006; Curran e Myung-Jun, 2000; Sparks, 2007) tem frisado como países diferentes como a África do Sul, Chile e China também encontraram vários problemas para democratizar as suas estruturas de comunicação política Voltmer e Schmitt-Beck (2006) afirmam que alguns países da Europa do Leste no entanto conseguiram implementar a mídia pública com algum grau de independência tanto do Estado como do mercado * Uso da comunicação para o desenvolvimentomais importante em sociedades emergentes e semi-democráticas * Lerner (1958) e Schramm (1964) e a teoria da modernização, e o papel da comunicação no desenvolvimento * Críticas à teoria da modernização, e o seu entendimento da comunicação * Comunicação como diálogo e participativa, para a mudança social (i.e. Waisbord, 2001; Huesca, 2003; Manyozo, 2012; Tufte, 2012). * Waisbord indaga: o que é a comunicação para "a mudança social"? * Comunicação para o desenvolvimento deve ser entendida num sentido mais amplo, para além de simples mensagens enviadas por um meio * Tufte (2012, 614-615) argumenta que a comunicação é "uma força social pobremente explorada", e defende para a área de comunicação e saúde um "paradigma comunicativo mais amplo e interdisciplinar, onde a modernidade, a globalização e a mudança social sejam bem teorizadas...." * Críticas: ênfase na concepção behaviorista e individualista do processo de comunicação, em estudos quantitativos * Tufte (2012): necessidade de uma perspective mais interdisciplinar e elaborada para a área, apontando a ausência de interlocução maior com disciplinas como ciências sociais, antropologia, estudos da mídia e ciência política.

 Perspectivas internacionais sobre a democratização da mídia  A mídia latino-americana em análi... more  Perspectivas internacionais sobre a democratização da mídia  A mídia latino-americana em análise comparativa  A mídia no Brasil desde os anos 90  A mídia na Grã-Bretanha: da BBC à política de regulação  TV, cultura popular e identidade nacional  Resumo dos resultados da pesquisa  As estruturas de comunicação pública no Brasil e na América Latina  Os desafios da democratização da mídia no continente Quatro linhas de pesquisa em Midia e Politica na America Latina  Uma análise da evolução histórica da tradição de mídia pública na Inglaterra e no Brasil;  O relacionamento entre a mídia pública com o Estado, a

• Defining PSB and the public interest • European public service broadcasting dilemmas • Towards ... more • Defining PSB and the public interest • European public service broadcasting dilemmas • Towards a framework for looking at PSBs (Hallin and Mancini, 2000) • Latin American media systems: a history of neglect of public communications • Broadcasting policy and the public media in Brazil • Challenges for the public media platform in Brazil • Conclusions Public communication infrastructure in Latin America: a history of neglect  State intervention in South America has had the aim of reinforcing governmental powers rather than promoting democratic communications (Waisbord, 2000; Matos, 2008).  Broadcasting has been built on a combination of political control and limited regulation. Educational and state channels are mainly owned by sectors of the Church and politicians.  National broadcasting policies have also been traditionally aligned with political interests and state control.  Debates on the necessity of broadcasting and media reform and regulation culminated in the first realization of a conference on the theme in 2009 (i.e. Confecom debates)

Brazil as a BRIC country: facts and figures • Brazilian politics and the media in the aftermath o... more Brazil as a BRIC country: facts and figures • Brazilian politics and the media in the aftermath of the dictatorship • The media's role in democratization and in the transition to democracy • Challenges for Brazil and Latin America • From agrarian to media reform: obstacles to the consolidation of democracy in Brazil • Brazilian media vehicles as soft power: TV Globo versus TV Brasil • Alternative conceptions of globalization and future prospects for Brazil and Latin America

New technologies in Latin America and the digital divide • The benefits and limits of networked p... more New technologies in Latin America and the digital divide • The benefits and limits of networked politics • The Brazilian presidential elections of 2010 • The Brazilian blogosphere as an avenue for (female?) empowerment • Female leadership and the "Third World woman" • The Brazilian blogosphere and the Dilma 2010 campaign • The Internet as a vehicle for participatory democracy

 Media and democracy in Latin America in comparative perspective  Media systems and democratic ... more  Media and democracy in Latin America in comparative perspective  Media systems and democratic governance  Media democratization debates revisited  Media and democracy in the US and UK in comparative perspective  Democratic media and their duties  Comparing media systems: Southern Europe and Latin America  Media and democracy in Brazil  Challenges for the further democratization of the media in Brazil

Pontos-chave  O papel da mídia no avanço democrático no Brasildas Diretas Já ao governo de Lula ... more Pontos-chave  O papel da mídia no avanço democrático no Brasildas Diretas Já ao governo de Lula  O jornalismo investigativo na América Latina  Perspectivas internacionais sobre a democratização da mídia  A mídia latino-americana em análise comparativa  A mídia na Grã-Bretanha: da BBC à política de regulação  As estruturas de comunicação pública no Brasil e na América Latina  Os desafios da democratização da mídia no Partidarismo versus jornalismo democrático militante

Mídia e politica na América Latina: globalizacao, democracia e identidade Pontos-chave  Perspect... more Mídia e politica na América Latina: globalizacao, democracia e identidade Pontos-chave  Perspectivas internacionais sobre a democratização da mídia  A mídia latino-americana em análise comparativa  A mídia no Brasil desde os anos 90  A mídia na Grã-Bretanha: da BBC à política de regulação  As estruturas de comunicação pública no Brasil e na América Latina  Os desafios da democratização da mídia no continente Perspectivas internacionais sobre o papel da mídia no desenvolvimento nacional  Como diz Norris (2004), sistemas de mídia podem fortalecer a boa governança e promover o desenvolvimento se houver uma imprensa livre capaz de realizar a função de cão-de-guarda, investigando o poder e agindo como um forum cívico de debate entre os interesses conflitantes da sociedade  Uma mídia independente mais balançeada e livre só pode operar se esta não estiver sujeita às pressões políticas e/ou econômicas (i.e. Hallin e Mancini, 2004) • A literatura internacional sobre democratização da mídia (i.e. Voltmer e Schmitt-Beck, 2006; Curran e Myung-Jun, 2000; Sparks, 2007) tem frisado como países diferentes como a África do Sul, Chile e China também encontraram vários problemas para democratizar as suas estruturas de comunicação política • Voltmer e Schmitt-Beck (2006) afirmam que alguns países da Europa do Leste no entanto conseguiram implementar a mídia pública com algum grau de independência tanto do Estado como do mercado

The critical political economy tradition: key concerns • Critical political economy versus Cultur... more The critical political economy tradition: key concerns • Critical political economy versus Cultural Studies • Democratic functions of the media and the critical political economy's concerns • The private versus public dichotomy in communications • The relationship of the media with the state and with public service broadcasting (PSB) • PSB in Europe and in the UK: the case of the BBC • Media reform and the Leveson inquiry • Latin American broadcasting and European PSB • Seminar activities and conclusion • Readings for week 17

Why the popularity of quantitative research? Because researchers both at Chicago and elsewhere we... more Why the popularity of quantitative research? Because researchers both at Chicago and elsewhere were developing quantitative measuring methods which were intended to elevate the status of sociology to that of a science.

There has been a lot of research on the effectiveness of lectures in comparison to other methods ... more There has been a lot of research on the effectiveness of lectures in comparison to other methods since Bligh's classic 1972 text What's the use of Lectures? Bligh concludes that lectures are ineffective in inspiring interest in the subject, are not as effective as other discussion methods to promote thought, that their major objective should not be the changing of students' attitudes and that they cannot teach behaviour skills. He argues that the main objective of lectures should be the acquisition of information by students. Lectures are also perceived as being passive and a one-way communication channel. Recent studies have generally accepted ) conclusions. Gibbs (1981 has listed some of the weaknesses of lectures, including how they overburden students' information processing capacities and that they are largely ineffective in awakening critical skills.

Very interesting text that provides a philosophical perspective on the public/private dichotomy, ... more Very interesting text that provides a philosophical perspective on the public/private dichotomy, offering a historical and theoretical overview of the debate and giving a critical assessment of the roots of critical thinking on the place of media systems in societies and their role in boosting public knowledge and citizenship. Can function as an introductory text for those not from the area.

International Journal of Press/Politics

Waltham Forest Film and Arts Festival - Time Out

University of Oxford Podcasts

International Journalism Week - University of Sheffield

Cineasta Wong-kar wai volta a emocionar - Folha/Reuters

Women in developing and developed countries can still suffer from constraints on their ability to... more Women in developing and developed countries can still suffer from constraints on their ability to exercise their reproductive rights, being subject to gendered norms and forms of control over their bodies and encountering various difficulties to accessing healthcare services. Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) thus continue to matter for the advancement of gender equality, whilst communications when strategically used can shape support for progressive policies. This project seeks to advance research on gender development and advocacy communications for social change. A core question asked here is how can communications be better used for advocacy on SRHR? Making use of a mixed methods approach, this research engages with a sample of 52 feminist and health NGOs, located in both the North and the South. In depth interviews with gender experts from the organizations were combined with a survey applied to the communication professionals, followed by content and discourse analysis of their institutional websites and social media engagement. This paper provides a condensed examination of early research findings and of core theoretical frameworks, arguing over the need to deconstruct discourses around SRHR under challenging times and concluding that NGOs need better communication strategies and practices in their advocacy communication efforts.

Feminists media scholars have been confronted with the challenge of making out the meanings of a ... more Feminists media scholars have been confronted with the challenge of making out the meanings of a series of post-feminist texts and the ambiguities around what constitutes "sexist" discourses, in a context where some claim gender equality has been achieved (i.e.

Brazilian journalism is experiencing a crisis that has affected journalism worldwide due to vario... more Brazilian journalism is experiencing a crisis that has affected journalism worldwide due to various factors, including the competition with new technologies, economic pressures to cut costs, the growing redundancy of journalists and the undermining of investigative journalism. Improvements in Brazilian journalism have ran parallel with the democratization project, as my first research showed . This paper offers an assessment of political journalism in Brazil in comparative perspective with debates on the crisis of public communications worldwide.

Faculti Media- Media and politics in Latin America

City's MA in International Communications and Development

Videos for the International Journalism Week, 2012 - Sheffield University

Queda Livre - Otavio Frias Filho

ONGS pedem a Petrobras- Reuters

Ibama e ONGS querem processar Petrobras

Politica Brasileira - PT de olho em 2002

Brazilian workers have contained oil spill - Reuters

Vazamento da Petrobras - Reuters

We don't just want more cake: An interview with Rosalind Gill by Carolina Matos