Hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment: an analysis of Brazil’s far-right media

Abstract

This article examines how Brazilian far-right media framed hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) as part of a COVID-19 preventive protocol, referred to as “early treatment.” Brazilian partisan outlets extensively endorsed HCQ’s scientific soundness, helping to legitimize Bolsonaro’s pandemic response. By pushing HCQ, the Brazilian Federal Government downplayed social distancing, aligning itself with herd immunity strategies. A Correspondence Factorial Analysis (CFA) of the most influential partisan outlets extracted three major framings present in the media materials: “Scientific Evidence,” “Personal Experience,” and “Freedom to Medicate.” A subsequent Content Analysis found twenty-six scientific claims regarding the HCQ protocol. Far-right media in Brazil have framed unproven substances for COVID-19, regardless of compelling evidence of their ineffectiveness. Brazil’s case shows the need for a deeper understanding of how partisan vehicles frame contemporary social problems as they legitimize policies contrary to scientific consensus.