Análise sociocognitiva do discurso da Tribuna do Norte, G1 RN e Saiba Mais sobre a remoção da Ocupação Maria Lúcia Santos em mídias hegemônicas e contra-hegemônica

Abstract

This study analyzes the discursive strategies employed by hegemonic media outlets, such as Tribuna do Norte and g1 RN, and by alternative media, such as the Saiba Mais agency, in news coverage about the homeless population that occupied the Viaduto do Baldo, in the Maria Lúcia Santos occupation, focusing on the actions to remove these individuals from public space, initiated in February 2021 by the Municipal Government of Natal. The aim is to observe the implications of these discourses in shaping public opinion. The methodology applied is Critical Discourse Analysis, based on the sociocognitive approach, particularly the discourse–cognition–society triangle theory, with a qualitative perspective, considering historical, political, and social contexts in the formation of mental models that underlie cognition, the structure of discourse, and its intended meanings. The concept of aporophobia and its application in discourse is also revisited, as well as the hygienist movement, understood as having an aporophobic essence in its tendency to prioritize the interests of the dominant class. The results show that both Tribuna do Norte and g1 RN favor the Municipality of Natal, revealing an ideological alignment with the municipal administration, whereas Saiba Mais clearly assigns responsibility for the actions to the executive branch, indicating its ideological distance from the local government. Thus, it is concluded that the hegemonic media analyzed in this research reshape public perception to favor agendas aligned with the interests of the majority class.