The political press and the electoral authoritarianism of the 1930s:

the dispute of narratives about the Vargas dictatorship of 1930-1934

Abstract

How did the Provisional Government headed by Getúlio Vargas between 1930 and 1934 forge the construction of a favorable narrative about its own acts in the face of the hostile press in Rio at the time (ABREU, 2019)? In Brazil, the literature has pointed out the complex relationship established by the press with the military dictatorship of 1964-1985 (CAPELATO; PRADO, 1980; MOTTA, 2017), in line with what was observed in comparative studies (MOTTA; TOULHOAT, 2022). The authoritarian experience of 1930-1934, however, did not receive the same attention. The purpose of this article is to examine how the newspaper O Radical, created to advocate in favor of the Revolution of 1930, reported the critical moments that challenged the permanence of the Vargas dictatorship and the consequent control of the Provisional Government over the process of re-constitutionalization of the country in the 1930s. We will analyze the periodical's journalistic coverage in key moments from 1932 to 1933, contrasting with what was published concomitantly by Diário de Notícias, which was in opposition to the dictatorship. Documentary criticism will reveal how O Radical sought to embed authority and credibility in its version of the historical process known as the Constitutionalist Revolution and subsequent developments that allowed Vargas to continue in power, based on typical features of populist rhetoric.