Ricardo Ribeiro Ferreira
Job Title
Guest Lecturer and Tutor

City (Address)
EdinburghCountry (Address)
ScotlandBackground
I am a guest lecturer and a tutor (teaching assistant) at the University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Science. My research explores media capture in a condition of hybridity, examining journalists’ practices and role perceptions in recent de-de-democratisation processes. Overall, my work has been shaped by my experience as a journalist, which includes 18 years as a reporter, editor and international correspondent for major Brazilian news outlets. I am particularly interested in the role of journalism in democracy, media capture, hybrid systems and disinformation campaigns.
Teaching and Research Experience
- University of Edinburgh, Tutor (teaching assistant), 2021-Present
Courses: Media and Politics; Politics and International Relations 1B; Comparative Politics in a Globalised World; Politics in a Changing World - University of Strathclyde, MSc Dissertation Supervisor, 2023-Present
School of Government and Public Policy - University of Edinburgh, Research Assistant 26/3/2024 – 31/8/2024
Project Public Engagement with Climate News. Data collection, translation and preliminary analysis for four case studies: UK, India, Portugal and Brazil
Project AI and Education. Data collection (20 qualitative semi-structured interviews), transcription, NVIVO coding and preliminary analysis - University of Edinburgh, Guest Lecturer, 2022-Present
University of Coimbra, Guest Lecturer, 2019-Present
Peer-reviewed Publications
- (forthcoming). To report or not to report? A qualitative analysis of journalists’ perspectives on harm to public opinion. Public Opinion Quarterly. (co-authored with Jean‑François Daoust)
- (2024). “It Forces You to Publish Some Shit”: Toward a Taxonomy of De-Democratizing Journalistic Practices. The International Journal of Press/Politics, Online First, DOI: 10.1177/194016122412665
- (2024). The Precarity Trap: Modelling Non-Democratic Journalistic Practices Beyond Media Capture. Journalism Studies, 25(6), 622-642, DOI: 10.1080/1461670X.2024.2322635
- (2024). Speaking Power to the People: Serbian and Brazilian Media Systems in Populist Times. Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies, 17(30), 171-198. DOI: 10.7172/1689-9024.YARS.2024.17.30.7 (co-authored with Alexander Mesarovich)
- (2023). The Hate Office? Bolsonaro's Discourse and Covid-19 Online Disinformation. International Journal of Communication, 17, 23. (co-authored with Juliana Alcantara).
- (2021). Liquid Disinformation Tactics: Overcoming Social Media Countermeasures Through Misleading Content. Journalism Practice, 16(8), 1537-1558,
DOI: 10.1080/17512786.2021.1914707. - (2020). “Little flu” infodemic: an analysis on disinformation and coronavirus in Brazil. Chasqui Revista Latinoamericana de Comunicación, 1(145), 137-162, DOI: 10.16921/chasqui.v1i145.4315 (co-authored with Juliana Alcantara).
- (2018). Network of lies: the spread of fake news in the Brazilian presidential pre-campaign. Observatorio (OBS*), 12(5), 139-162, DOI: 10.15847/obsOBS12520181272.
Book
- (2022). Hijacked Democracy: How disinformation helped Bolsonaro become president of Brazil. Media XXI: Porto.
Reviews
- (2020). Review of Network propaganda: Manipulation, disinformation, and radicalization in American politics by Yochai Benkler, Robert Faris and Hal Roberts. Mediapolis–Revista de Comunicação, Jornalismo e Espaço Público, (11), 103-105.
Conferences
- “‘It Forces You to Publish Some Shit’: Towards a Taxonomy of De-democratising Journalistic Practices”, PSA - Media and Politics Group Conference, Porthsmouth, October 26th, 2023.
- “‘It Forces You to Publish Some Shit’: Towards a Taxonomy of De-democratising Journalistic Practices”, International Journal of Press and Politics 9th conference, Edinburgh, October 12th, 2023.
- "The Precarity Trap: Modelling Non-democratic Journalistic Practices Beyond Media Capture" - 73rd Annual ICA Conference (International Communication Association), Toronto, May 27th, 2023.
- "The Precarity Trap: Modelling Non-democratic Journalistic Practices Beyond Media Capture" - ICA PhD Colloquium - Journalism Studies Division, Toronto, May 25th, 2023.
- "The Precarity Trap: Modelling Non-democratic Journalistic Practices Beyond Media Capture" - JRP Between Ideals and Practices conference, Toronto, May 24th, 2023.
- “Understanding the Roles of Journalism in the De-Democratisation of Brazil” - Captured Media Researching. Media Systems in and after Transitions, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon, December 6th, 2022.
- “Understanding the Roles of Journalism in Brazil’s De-Democratisation” - 72nd Annual ICA Conference (International Communication Association), Paris, May 27th, 2022.
- “Public Health and Far-right: The Brazilian Case of Coronavirus Infodemic” - IAMCR conference (International Association for Media and Communication Research), Nairobi, July 11th, 2021 (co-authored with Juliana Alcantara).
- “Disinformation in Electoral Processes”- International seminar Rethinking Brazilian journalism in times of populism and disinformation. Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, January 13th, 2020.
- “Hijacked Democracy: Impacts of Disinformation on Social Media in the 2018 Brazilian Presidential Election” - VIII Oxbridge Conference on Brazilian Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, October 5th, 2019.
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (Politics), University of Edinburgh - 2020-2024
- Thesis: Inside the ‘Meat Grinder’: Journalistic Agency, Precarity, and Political Instrumentalisation in the De-democratisation of Brazil
- Supervisor: Dr Kate Wright
- Co-supervisors: Dr Benjamin Martill and Dr Jean-François Daoust
- Examiners: Prof Silvio R. Waisbord and Prof Cristian Vaccari - Master of Arts (Journalism and Communication), University of Coimbra - 2017-2019
- Dissertation: “Disinformation in electoral processes: a case study of the 2018 Brazilian election”
- Visiting researcher (Erasmus Program), University of Ljubljana (1/9/2018 – 2/2/2019)
- Award: Honours (A) - Bachelor of Arts (Social Communication - Journalism), Catholic University of Santos - 2002-2005
- University Senate - student representative (2004, 2005)
- Award: Merit (B)
Memberships
- Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), United Kingdom
- International Communication Association (ICA), Journalism Studies Division and Political Communication Division
- European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), Journalism Studies Division
- The University of Edinburgh Senatus Academicus (The Senate), elected member for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (2023 to 2025)
Peer-reviewer
- Journalism Studies
- Journalism Practice
- International Journal of Communication
- ICA Conference
Awards
- University of Coimbra (11/12/2018)
- Diploma of Merit
- Best grades 1st-year master 2017/2018 - Department of Philosophy, Communication and Information Science
- Certificate and € 1.064
- University of Coimbra (10/9/2022)
- 3% Best Students Award 2018/2019
- Best grades in each department
- Certificate and € 500
- University of Coimbra (4/5/2022)
- Merit Board 2018/2019
- Best academic performance university-wide (Top 5% students)
- University Official Records
Grants
- Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom Scholarship (31/3/2023)
- Awarding body: Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom – European University Institute
- Amount: € 400 for travel + accommodation and food
- Purpose: attend their 2023 Sumer School
- Michael Haley Travel Grant 2023 (31/3/2023)
- Awarding body: International Communication Association (ICA)
- Amount: $ 500
- Purpose: travel to ICA 73rd annual conference in Toronto, Canada
- SPS Research Support Fund (3/2/2023)
- Awarding body: University of Edinburgh, School of Social and Political Science (SPS)
- Amount: £ 500
- Purpose: conference expenses
- Michael Haley Travel Grant 2022 (17/3/2022)
- Awarding body: International Communication Association (ICA)
- Amount: $ 400
- Purpose: travel to ICA 72nd annual conference in Paris, France
- SPS Research Support Fund (1/11/2021)
- Awarding body: University of Edinburgh, School of Social and Political Science (SPS)
- Amount: £ 500
- Purpose: conduct fieldwork in Brazil
Profiles
Orcid
Researchgate
CiênciaVittae (Portugal)
CnpqLattes (Brazil)
LinkedIn
Works within
Publications by user content
Publication | Research Explorer link |
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Ferreira RR. “It Forces You to Publish Some Shit”: Toward a taxonomy of de-democratizing journalistic practices. International Journal of Press/Politics. 2024 Jul 30;1-25. Epub 2024 Jul 30. doi: 10.1177/19401612241266557 |
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Ferreira RR. The precarity trap: Modelling non-democratic journalistic practices beyond media capture. Journalism Studies. 2024;25(6):622-642. Epub 2024 Mar 18. doi: 10.1080/1461670X.2024.2322635 |
View |
Ferreira RR, Alcantara J. The hate office? Bolsonaro’s discourse and COVID-19 online disinformation. International Journal of Communication. 2023 Oct 29;17:6424-6446. |
View |
Ferreira RR. Liquid disinformation tactics: Overcoming social media countermeasures through misleading content. Journalism Practice. 2022;16(8):1537-1558. Epub 2021 Apr 20. doi: 10.1080/17512786.2021.1914707 |
View |
Ferreira RR. Democracia Sequestrada: Como a desinformação ajudou a eleger Bolsonaro presidente. Media XXI, 2022. 218 p. |
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Alcantara J, Ferreira RR. A infodemia da “gripezinha”: Uma análise sobre desinformação e coronavírus no Brasil. Chasqui Revista Latinoamericana de Comunicación. 2020 Dec 22;145:137-162. doi: 10.16921/chasqui.v1i145.4315 |
View |
Ferreira RR. Desinformação em processos eleitorais: Um estudo de caso da eleição brasileira de 2018. 2019. |
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Ferreira RR. Rede de mentiras: A propagação de fake news na pré-campanha presidencial brasileira. Observatorio (OBS*). 2018 Oct 29;12(5):139-162. doi: 10.15847/obsobs12520181272 |
View |