Espetacularização da notícia e judicialização da política: A atuação do STF e a cobertura jornalística do julgamento do mensalão

Abstract

The text analyzes the politicization of law and the spectacularization of news in Brazil, highlighting the central role of the media as a “fourth power” that influences the course of democracy. From a perspective that frames the press and the judiciary as producers and disseminators of moral values—which, in turn, shape the public interpretation of facts—the article examines the journalistic coverage of the Mensalão carried out by Veja magazine and, in parallel, the self-representation of Supreme Federal Court (STF) justices broadcast by TV Justiça. It seeks to understand whether, and to what extent, the media constructs a discourse that pressures the actions of the STF and constrains the autonomy of the legal field. To address this question, a paradigmatic event was selected, and 359 issues of Veja magazine, published between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2012, were analyzed. The data analysis suggests that the modus operandi of the coverage relied on a discursive construction that produced effects of reality and effects in reality.