A imagem como informação: um estudo sobre a evolução dos infográficos na Folha de S. Paulo (1990-2025)

Abstract

This dissertation analyzes the evolution and role of infographics in the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo between 1990 and 2025, situating them within the context of the graphic modernization initiated by the Projeto Folha (starting in 1984) and the technological transformations that shifted the centrality from words to more visual and hybrid communication ecologies. The objective is to map the uses, functions, technical advances, and aesthetic transformations of infographics in Folha, evaluating the extent to which these resources operate as autonomous devices for the construction, organization, and interpretation of journalistic information. The corpus consists of five printed infographics, selected based on criteria of thematic diversity, graphic relevance, and editorial representativeness over three decades. The methodology adopted is qualitative and descriptive, based on content analysis proposed by Bardin (1977), organized into five categories: type of infographic, theme, text-image relationship, graphic structure (colors, hierarchies, visual elements), and informational clarity. The hypothesis is that infographics have ceased to be mere illustrative complements to assume an increasing centrality in journalistic narrative, contributing to the reader’s visual literacy. The dissertation is structured into four chapters: the first discusses the history of the press based on media transformations and literacies; the second presents infographics as a journalistic language; the third addresses the trajectory of Folha de S.Paulo and its graphic reforms, highlighting the incorporation of infographics; and the fourth is dedicated to the analysis of the five selected infographics.