Journalism in times of dictatorship: Feminist resistance in the alternative press in the 70s and 80s in Brazil

Abstract

The article discusses the role of the feminist movement in resisting the military dictatorship in Brazil between the 1970s and 1980s based on an analysis of newspapers that served as strategic spaces for political action. The research objectives are aimed at recording the history of the alternative press in the country and identifying the role of the feminist press in defending women’s rights. The study method, of a qualitative nature, comprises bibliographical research and documentary research with the collection of 19 feminist newspapers that operated in different phases of the period considered, of which six were selected to identify characteristics specific to the alternative press. The results reveal, among other aspects, the diversity of themes, the limitations regarding the modes of journalistic production and the link with feminist groups and organizations, contributing to the recognition of the legacy of feminist newspapers for the processes of organizing and strengthening feminism in the country. The research is the result of the project “Women of Struggle: feminism and lefts in Brazil (1964-1985)”, which contributed to recording the memory of women’s participation in confronting the dictatorship.