One of the fundamental issues faced by collectives in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic was the dissemination of useful information – and under constant review – related to the prevention of the disease and the fight against misinformation on the subject. Here we put some of the initiatives carried out by some actors, such as podcasts, applications and documentary proposals. One of Resocie’s productions on mobilizations during the pandemic addresses this theme, is the dissertation “Pick up the vision: interpretative frameworks of communication collectives from the periphery in the Covid-19 pandemic”, authored by doctoral student Mariana Fonseca . You can access the file here .

podcasts

Several collectives used streaming and open platforms to promote podcasts, the new “conversation circles of the broken”. The collectives used this technology to carry out dialogues, interviews, debates, actions, aimed at educating and informing the communities. We bring you some of these podcasts.

lives

In the context of a pandemic, several lives were held, with the aim of entertaining, discussing important issues on the national and international scene, talking about the realities on the periphery and other diverse topics. Several collectives held lives , others did them periodically. They can be found on the channels of the respective collectives on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

zap channels

Several collectives also used whatsapp to spread their news more quickly and directly to the community. In addition to news about the pandemic, they also released information about emergency aid, cultural events, politics and education. Some examples are the channel of Agência da Mural, Periferia em Movimento and Max Maciel. To receive the news on whatsapp, just send a message to the number of each collective, available on your social media or websites

 

Discover some mapped solutions here

The Document developed by the Black Population Health Working Group of the Brazilian Society of Family and Community Medicine (SBMFC) and by the Association of Family and Community Medicine of Rio de Janeiro (AMFaC-RJ), aims to guide the population of communities and peripheries from all over Brazil about the importance of preventing COVID-19 with viable tips, according to the reality experienced by people who survive conditions of vulnerability.

Voz das Comunidades, a communication collective located in Complexo do Alemão, launched an app with the aim of minimizing misinformation and the impacts of the pandemic on communities in a more vulnerable situation.

The app can be downloaded from both GooglePlay (for Android) and the App Store (for iPhone). The app has three sections: LIVE, with quick and real-time information; FACTS: aims to combat misinformation, with news verified by the team of editors with the seal of “true” or “false”; and NEWSPAPER, which makes available in the application all the content of the existing newspaper.

The podcast brings a peripheral view of the city, politics and entertainment and is presented by Max Maciel, one of the coordinators of the Urban Network of Sociocultural Actions (DF). In addition to dealing with the fight against the coronavirus in the periphery, the podcast has already addressed other relevant topics in education, politics and culture.

The documentary intends to collaborate with the dissemination of information in the peripheries about prevention, self-care and data for the creation of public policies and other immediate initiatives. It will be based on the vision of 5 young people from the periphery of the five regions of the country. The three audiovisual collectives that drive the proposal for the documentary are: Maloka Filmes, formed by LGBTs from the South Zone of São Paulo; the Communication and Youth Center – CCJ in Recife (PE); and the Apeirom Collective of Ceilândia (DF).

The mini-documentary “Interrupmos a Programação (?)”, created by the collective Periferia em Movimento, began to be produced in October 2019. Interpellated by the pandemic in early 2020, the production, in addition to talking about the importance of community/peripheral media for the formation and expression of the identity of the peripheries, it also reflects on its importance for the confrontation and exposure of the pandemic situation in the communities.

Young people from the Jacaré community in Pernambuco created a community radio, Jacaré Maluquinho, with the aim of disseminating information to all neighboring families about the importance of preventing coronavirus.

Using simple equipment, a notebook and a loudspeaker, the young people make reports to the entire community and promote the brega funk “Xô-Corona”, their cheesy-protest. In addition, they spread posters all over Alligator reinforcing the use of the protective mask and distribute donations and basic baskets.

Several collectives have also used whatsapp to spread their news more quickly and directly to the community. In addition to news about the pandemic, they also disclose information about emergency aid, cultural events, politics and education. Some examples are the channel of Agência da Mural, Periferia em Movimento and Max Maciel. To receive the news on whatsapp, just send a message to the number of each collective, available on their social media or websites .

In times of pandemic, new digital technologies are being used intensively by communication groups and other organizations on the periphery, to present demands, disseminate opinions, exchange ideas. It is possible to access the various interviews, lives and podcasts that have been made by the activists themselves. See, for example:

Interview with Preto Zezé , National President of Central Única das Favelas.

Videos that talk about the Paraisópolis (SP) experience, here and here .

Podcast “ Quarantena “, from Agência Mural de Jornalismo das Periferias and Podcast Lugar de Quarentena , from the communication collective ARQUEPerifa .

Rádio Ação Paramita Conversation Circle, “ Favela, Self-organization and Covid-19 ”.

Thiago Vinícius, from Agência Popular Solano Trindade, a collective located on the outskirts of Campo Limpo (South Zone of SP), Roberta Rodrigues (Vidigal, Rio de Janeiro), Max Maciel (Projeto Ruas, Ceilândia, DF), Neila Gomes (Movimento pela Moradia , Belém), among others, are interviewed about their actions against the pandemic.

Voz das Comunidades, a newspaper created by residents of Complexo do Alemão (RJ) in 2005, launched an application for cell phones, whose objective is to “fight misinformation about COVID-19”. The newspaper identified the demand, on the part of residents of Rio de Janeiro communities, for reliable sources of information in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. See more information on the newspaper's website .

In a manifesto signed by dozens of groups from all over the country, activist media collectives working in the periphery declared: “We, peripheral and peripheral communicators from various parts of the country, are joining efforts to collaborate with accurate information and that really manage to reach ours. We need to know how to inform… From us to ours!” More information on website of the collective of communicators.

The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation joined Redes da Maré and organizations from the Manguinhos community to launch the “ Se Liga no Corona! “, which aims to disseminate reliable information adapted to the context of the peripheries. The content produced by the campaign is available for download on the Fiocruz Portal and on Maré Online . In addition, the Campaign launched a validation seal for communication materials produced by partner community organizations. Its content will be submitted to specialists at Fiocruz and, if valid, they will receive the Fiocruz Tá Junto , offering the material a scientific seal.

Coletivo Papo Reto , Voz das Comunidades and Coletivo Mulheres em Ação no Alemão joined together to form the Alemão Crisis Cabinet . These are organizations that have been operating for years and have adapted their agendas to help fight the pandemic. In addition to distributing donations, they also carry out awareness campaigns, fight against fake news, promote favela sanitation campaigns and denounce police violence.

The Communities Committee is a WhatsApp group that seeks to bring more information about the coronavirus to peripheral neighborhoods in the municipality of Santo André, in São Paulo. The initiative was created by the MDDF (Movimento de Defesa dos Favelados) with the aim of organizing a virtual network with residents and community leaders who represent the municipality's favelas, in addition to outlining topics discussed in the group. The full article can be accessed through the link .