School Shootings in Brazil: Media's Role in Agenda Setting and Policy Formulation

Until the 2022-2023 cycle, school shootings were relatively rare occurrences in Brazil. However, this period witnessed a significant surge in such attacks, accounting for 58% of all similar events ever recorded in the country. This alarming trend quickly captured the nation's attention, sparking intense media coverage. Existing research on school shootings emphasizes the crucial role of media in shaping public discourse and influencing policy on the topic. Literature on policymaking similarly highlights the media's ability to set priorities and suggest potential policy solutions. This article aims to explore the media's impact on agenda setting and policy formulation in the context of Brazil's recent spate of school attacks. Specifically, this research seeks to: 1) assess the salience of the issue in media coverage; 2) analyze the framing of the problem, including the description of events, the depiction of the scene, the identification of actors involved, the causes, the consequences and the reasons for public concern; 3) examine the policy suggestions proposed by the media.