Neutralization of Resistance: The Role of Fake News in Public Opinion on Trade Union Movements and Labor Reform

O PAPEL DAS FAKE NEWS NA OPINIÃO PÚBLICA SOBRE OS MOVIMENTOS SINDICAIS E A REFORMA TRABALHISTA

Abstract

This research aims to investigate how the spread of fake news and disinformation affects the public perception of labor movements and Labor Reform in Brazil, and how this influence manifests in the acceptance or rejection of trade union movements, considering the real impacts of labor reform on workers' lives. The hypothetical-deductive approach is employed, starting from the hypothesis that the dissemination of disinformation plays a significant role in altering public perception of trade union movements and workers' rights, neutralizing resistance to the withdrawal of workers' rights. The bibliographic method is employed through the analysis of books and scientific articles on the topics, with a special contribution from the foundational theories of Byung Chul-Han, Antony Giddens, and Guy Debord. The study is divided into two chapters. The first addresses the concepts of fake news and disinformation, as well as the promises of Labor Reform in contrast to the reality years after its promulgation. The second chapter investigates the causes of the weakening of trade union movements in the networked society and possible strategies for their (re)legitimization. The confirmation of the hypothesis that the spread of fake news and disinformation has exerted a substantial influence on the public perception of labor movements and labor reform in Brazil, neutralizing resistance to the withdrawal of rights.