The Portrayal of Brazil In The U.S. News Media - Thesis Example

This sresearch study will focus on the leading print news media in the United States - The New York Times and Washington Post. This is a valuable topic as it attracts the foreign affairs, policies and global issues between the United States and Brazil in the international platform. This is the main reason for choosing this subject matter as a research topic.From the report it is clear that Brazil has seen two consecutive two-term Presidents: Fernando Henrique Cardoso and his successor Luis Inácio Lula da Silva.

These two administrations were paramount in strengthening the Brazilian economy and in bringing about a consolidation of a strong democracy. They impacted the way this “BRIC country”  is perceived everywhere in the world, and especially in the U.S. In recent news publication, BBC has quoted that Brazil is the biggest democratic country and economic giant and is South America’s most significant country. The mutual knowledge between U.S. and Brazil is increasingly important, given Brazil’s recent insertion into the international system and the fact that Brazil is a more active international player than most other countries of its economic stature.

 In the Post-Cold War period, Brazil has begun to think of itself, and to some extent to behave, as a regional and global power. The U.S. is beginning to take account of the fact that for the first time another country in the American continent has serious aspirations to become both a regional power – in South America, perhaps even in Latin America, a region in which the United States has been the undisputed leader for more than a century –as well as a global power.. Role of Brazil in the World’s Economy Brazil has seen two consecutive two-term Presidents: Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995 to 2002) and his successor Luis Inacio Lula da Silva (2003 to 2010).

These two administrations were paramount in strengthening the Brazilian economy and in bringing about a consolidation of a strong democracy. They impacted the way this “BRIC country” (grouping acronym that refers to the related economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China, coined by Goldman Sachs in 2003) is perceived everywhere in the world, and especially in the U.S. Little is known about how the US news media portrays Brazil’s image (Sotero, 2007, p. 1). There is a lack of research and analysis on how both countries perceive and portray each other.

For instance, as stated by Sotero (2007) in one of his studies, “historically, the United States has been disproportionately more relevant for Brazil than Brazil has been for the United States” (-p. 3). This asymmetry of interests, true for most countries in the world vis-a-vis the United States, lead one to conclude that U.S. scholars and intellectuals have not followed Brazil’s growth over the last two decades. In recent news publication, BBC has quoted that Brazil is the biggest democratic country and economic giant and is South America’s most significant country (BBC, 2010).

The mutual knowledge between U.S. and Brazil is increasingly important, given Brazil’s recent insertion into the international system and the fact that Brazil is a more active international player than most other countries of its economic stature. According to Brazilianist Andrew Hurrell, beginning with Fernando Henrique Cardoso and quickening with Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, the perception has grown that Brazil has finally assumed its