Topsy-turvy disinformation: a reflection on the concept of disinformation for Olavo de Carvalho

Abstract

As a pioneer of modern fake news, Olavo de Carvalho has become an indispensable political influence in understanding the rise of the far-right in Brazil. Two years after his death, Olavo's paranoid political thought continues to shape a significant part of the Brazilian public discourse. A controversial figure who attracted a large following on social media, his argumentative strategies have left an important legacy for right-wing reactionaries, normalizing and constructing a linguistic framework for the use of conspiracy theories, personal attacks, and false information. In this sense, understanding the concept of disinformation in Carvalho's work is an important step in comprehending the mindset of the new Brazilian right. With this in mind, the present study aims to analyze how Olavo understands and comprehends disinformation in his works, contrasting it with his role as a promoter of disinformation in the Brazilian context and the most recent literature on the subject. In general, the fascist troll perceives this concept as an accusatory category inherent to Marxism, aimed at concealing the truth from the public and disguising actual disinformation. In this sense, the preliminary research findings indicate that the guru of the new right reverses the logic of the concept: the more we talk about disinformation, the more misinformed we become. This phenomenon can be described as "topsy-turvy disinformation".