Lula’s EBC hires Mynd8 influencer, a friend of Janja, with a salary of R$18 thousand

Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) hired influencer Murilo Ribeiro Pereira, known as “Muka” on social media, to work at the state-owned company with a salary of R$17,800. The appointment to a commissioned position took place in September 2023. Agencyed by Mynd8, “Muka” is a friend of the first lady, Rosangela da Silva, known as Janja.

Among those managed by the company are the pages Garoto do Blog and Alfinetadas dos Famosos, identified by digital influencers, such as Daniel Penin, as those responsible for distributing, together with the Choquei profile, false content that would have led Jéssica Vitória Canedo, 22 years old, to commit suicide (understand the case here).

After the repercussion of the Jéssica Case, Mynd8 stated that it does not interfere with the content published by its agents. The company said it was “suffering numerous organized and systematic attacks of hate, lies and dissemination of fake news”.

Murilo Ribeiro Pereira took on the role of agenda manager in the variety sector at EBC, in Rio de Janeiro, under the responsibility of the programming directorate.

The information about the hiring of “Muka” was initially released by the column Laura Jardimin the newspaper The globe. The appointment was signed by the new president of EBC, Jeansley Charlles de Lima, who took command of the state-owned company in December, after journalist Hélio Doyle was fired from his position for statements critical of Israel.

On social media, the influencer announced “news” minutes before the publication of the report by Globe. “I’ve wanted to share this news with you for a while, but I couldn’t! The platinum guy here is back on TV. Soon, you will be able to see me on TV Brasil. Yes, I’m coming home!!! I’m going to show off the new #SemCensura (but I can’t give details). And there’s more!!!”, he stated on X.

Janja commented in the publication congratulating “Muka”: “Ahhhhhhh what wonderful news!!! Congratulations my friend. Success”. With 245 thousand followers on social media, Murilo Ribeiro Pereira comments on reality shows on “space”, the live audio transmission tool on the social network X. “Space do Muka” brings together thousands of daily listeners.

“Muka” says that friendship with Janja did not influence hiring at EBC

Murilo Pereira has already participated in meetings organized by the first lady with influencers. The role he currently holds at EBC was previously performed by publicist Jeferson Monteiro, creator of the parody “Dilma Bolada”. Monteiro was dismissed in August. To the newspaper The globe“Muka” said that Janja did not influence his hiring at EBC.

Murilo worked for two decades at the now defunct TV Escola, linked to the Ministry of Education, according to him, this experience contributed to his hiring by EBC. The influencer highlighted that the new role at the state-owned company was not announced on social media as part of the strategy to launch two attractions on TV Brasil.

One of the programs will be similar to “Space do Muka”, with debates on topics that are being discussed on social media. He should also join the team of the program “Sem Censura”, presented by Cissa Guimarães and scheduled to premiere in the coming months.

Social networks and elections

On August 11 last year, “Muka” posted a photo on Instagram with Janja and other influencers with the caption: “Gabinete do Amor está on! #InfluencersForDemocracy.” After being elected, Lula organized meetings with influencers who supported him – events that were attended by members of Mynd8 – to thank them for their work during the election period and ask that the work to support the government continue throughout his term.

Those responsible for the entertainment profiles who began to emphatically support the PT campaign were named “Influencers for Democracy”. There is even suspicion of external financing for defamation campaigns against Lula’s then opponent, Jair Bolsonaro (PL) among influencers known as “Youtubers for Democracy”.