Reaction of the Santa Catarina Press to Antonieta de Barros's Candidacy for the Legislative Assembly of Santa Catarina (July–October 1934)

Abstract

This article analyzes the repercussion of Antonieta de Barros’ (1901–1952) candidacy for the Legislative Assembly of Santa Catarina in 1934, highlighting the relationships between the press and local elites in the context of political reconfiguration following the 1930 Revolution and the end of Vargas’s Provisional Government. Based on a qualitative analysis of six newspapers from the Hemeroteca Digital Catarinense, the study identifies patterns of selective visibility, silencing, and symbolic framing. The Jornal República is found to be the newspaper that most frequently mentions Antonieta, emphasizing her educational and intellectual trajectory and publishing the only explicit reference to her race - an interview denouncing the prejudice of voters in Blumenau. Her presence in that newspaper is partly explained by its alignment with the Partido Liberal Catarinense - the party for which she ran - although other sources indicate ties between Antonieta and the paper dating back to 1922. A Gazeta A Voz do Povo also portrays her positively, though less frequently, while O Pharol published a promotional note stating that electing her would break an “old prejudice,” without specifying which. This study contributes to understanding the role of the press in the 1934 elections and reveals the complex dynamics between newspapers and regional political elites.