Polarization as a moral regime in Brazil: religion, trust, and disinformation in dispute

Abstract

This article investigates how religious identity influences trust in the media and behavior toward disinformation in contexts of political polarization in Brazil. Based on the hypothesis that religion operates as a moral filter that guides informational perception, we analyze survey data from 1,100 participants, divided between supporters of Lula and Bolsonaro. The research compares evangelicals and Catholics across both political camps, focusing on three dimensions: trust in traditional media, fact-checking practices, and the sharing of fake news. Data analysis confirms that evangelical Bolsonaro supporters exhibit the lowest levels of trust in the media and the highest rates of disinformation sharing, while Catholic and evangelical Lula supporters display more stable and critical patterns. The findings support the hypothesis that religion, articulated with political affiliation, functions as a moral device in the contemporary informational dispute, shaping distinct regimes of truth and public legitimacy