The start of the research

This research began long before it actually started. Around April 2023, I approached Professor Michel Nicolau Netto from Unicamp with a proposal to conduct postdoctoral research at the IFCH (Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences). Initially, the investigation would focus on the intersection of pop culture in podcasts, with an emphasis on broader political reflections. The problem: coming from a background in Communication, the project naturally required a closer connection to Sociology, since my desire and proposal was to work at the intersection of these two fields of knowledge.

After much discussion, we settled on the current focus – the profile of podcasts and podcasters who talk about politics and serve as reliable sources of information for many people. This, incidentally, is an increasingly urgent topic.

As the research became quite extensive, we made a fundamental reconfiguration: in order for me to carry out quality research, exclusive dedication became necessary. We then applied for a grant from FAPESP.

The proposal was discussed and re-discussed, prepared and refined throughout 2023. The request was submitted to FAPESP at the end of the year. In March 2024, I was officially accepted as a postdoctoral researcher at IFCH and began preparing for the investigation while awaiting FAPESP's response.

Throughout the year, numerous personal challenges were intertwined with the challenges of this research project. Furthermore, the grant was rejected in the first round of evaluations. It was with the valuable input from the reviewers that we arrived at the finally approved version (the second submitted to FAPESP, the fifth since the beginning of the discussions). In October, FAPESP awarded the research grant, which began in December 2024.