Combate à desinformação no processo eleitoral brasileiro: uma análise da atuação da justiça eleitoral sob a ótica da construção do conhecimento e da mediação da informação

Abstract

For the electoral process to develop in a transparent, safe and effective manner, some pillars of democracy need to be preserved, such as freedom of expression, conceived as a fundamental right, which guarantees citizens the free expression of thought. With the advent of the electronic ballot box, there was a significant increase in the security of the electoral process, compared to the previous model, based on paper voting. On the other hand, currently, in the context of elections, there is also a significant increase in false, biased, inaccurate information, popularly known as Fake News, putting in check not only technological advances in the field of electoral justice, but Brazilian democracy. In this perspective, given the relevance of this theme, the research has the general objective of “mapping practices to combat disinformation of the Electoral Justice, pointing out procedures to be adopted by the Regional Electoral Court of Rio Grande do Norte, focusing on the construction and communication of knowledge aimed at combating misinformation.” To achieve the general objective, the following specific objectives were outlined: a) to characterize disinformation as a tool for democratic destabilization; b) identify the information mediation actions practiced by the Brazilian TRE's, in the fight against disinformation, based on the TSE's Program to Combat Disinformation; c) analyze the levels of knowledge and confidence of TRE/RN employees in relation to electronic ballot boxes and the Brazilian electoral process, outlining a diagnosis of their informational profile, aiming to develop channels for the creation and communication of knowledge and d) propose educational actions of combating disinformation aimed at TRE/RN employees, focusing on creating knowledge and mediating information to strengthen the electoral process. From the methodological point of view, this is a qualitative and quantitative research, with exploratory objectives. Bibliographic research and documentary research were used as research techniques for the construction of the theoretical framework, and data collection on the TRE's websites, for the analysis of documents from different JE bodies. As data collection instruments, a questionnaire with open and closed questions was developed with the TRE/RN servers. The results show that there is a need to invest in training for civil servants on the subject, as well as to enhance the creation of quality informational content, which contributes to the fight against disinformation and the strengthening not only of the electoral process, but of Brazilian democracy. As for the Regional Courts, it was noticed that they act as information mediators, prioritizing the holding of events with the participation of society. This characteristic is taken into account when proposing an intervention in the TRE/RN. Based on the results of the research and bibliographic survey, indicators were prepared to guide actions to combat disinformation within the scope of TRE/RN.