MIL and Democracy in Latin America. Lessons from independent journalism: An overview of Mexico and Brazil

Abstract

This article examines how disinformation and misinformation impact Latin American democracies, focusing on Mexico and Brazil. Through the analysis of independent journalism and fact-checking agencies like Agência Lupa and Verificado MX, the study highlights how these initiatives promote media and information literacy (MIL). It discusses how far-right populism and authoritarian leaders use disinformation to weaken democracy, while fact-checking journalism emerges as a key tool to counter these effects and strengthen an informed citizenry.