Between hashtags and hegemonies: the use of the term “Terrorism” on platform X on januay 8

Discursive Polarization and Algorithmic Dynamics on Former Twitter During the Brazilian Democratic Crisis

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research study on the discourses circulating on X (formerly Twitter) surrounding the attacks on the Three Branches of Government that took place on January 8, 2023, in Brasília. After collecting 10,000 posts in less than a minute using Netlytic and analyzing the data through the Communicatityc tool, among three analyzed keywords—Intervention, Army, and Terrorism—the study focused on the third, aiming to understand its association with the events, the user profiles involved, and the impacts on democracy. The results reveal strong discursive polarization and the presence of automated and strategic profiles competing over the meaning of the term, reflecting the tension between democratic and authoritarian agendas. Quantitative and qualitative analyses point to engagement patterns, predominant sentiments, and the presence of coordinated networks of disinformation and incitement. The episode was interpreted by the media as an expression of the rise of the far right in Brazil, rooted in movements aiming to disrupt democratic order, with traits of nationalism and authoritarian populism. The research is grounded in authors such as Castells (2013), Chen (2020), Mukherjee (2012), Mittal (2016), Shoemaker & Vos (2015), and Tiwari (2024), connecting concepts such as network society, algorithms, metrics-driven journalism, and sentiment analysis as frameworks for understanding the data. As the focus is on applied research, the study does not intend to provide a discourse analysis.