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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Apesar das sucessivas crises de diversas naturezas, do declínio das democracias e dos retrocessos de liberdades fundamentais, os direitos humanos continuam a ser uma âncora para aspirações sobre justiça global. Este contexto tem estimulado diferentes tipos de organizações a recorrer ao ativismo social e à retórica política para defenderem uma ampla variedade de direitos, muitas vezes divisivos e polémicos, e que exigem envolvimento cívico, político e imaginação. Sabendo-se que alguns atores sociais enfrentam desafios acrescidos na sua capacidade de acesso aos meios de comunicação de massa, tecnologias de comunicação e redes de influência, esta investigação tem como objetivo principal compreender de que forma a comunicação estratégica, particularmente a área das relações públicas, pode contribuir para uma maior e melhor representatividade pública e mediática de organizações ativistas portuguesas que defendem direitos humanos inseridos na agenda 2030 das Nações Unidas. Foi realizado um estudo etnográfico durante seis meses, entre janeiro e junho de 2021, junto de duas organizações ativistas portuguesas – UMAR e GAT - para conhecer a cultura e rotinas de comunicação destas organizações no âmbito das relações com diversos públicos. Foram ainda entrevistados doze especialistas – CEO’s e Diretores - de agências de comunicação e relações públicas para apurar as suas perspetivas sobre os diferentes contributos desta área no âmbito do ativismo por direitos humanos e da procura por mudanças sociais. Por fim, realizou-se uma análise categorial temática – qualitativa e quantitativa - de todas as notícias (1080) sobre as organizações em estudo que foram publicadas nos meios de comunicação social portugueses no ano de 2021. Cada método utilizado nas várias etapas da investigação evidenciou aspetos diferentes, mas complementares, da realidade social em estudo, que é complexa e pluridimensional. Uma das principais conclusões deste trabalho é que as relações públicas ativistas são uma área inexplorada em Portugal seja em termos de investigação académica, seja em termos das várias aplicações práticas possíveis. Apurou-se também que as organizações ativistas estudadas procuram influenciar a agenda política e mediática recorrendo a algumas das ferramentas democráticas disponíveis e, intuitivamente, a práticas de relações públicas. No entanto, estes esforços de comunicação não são enquadrados numa estratégia emergente e flexível que consiga articular as dimensões específicas que caracterizam estes grupos de interesse. Confirmou-se a existência de uma crise de representação mediática de ativistas em Portugal. Os media enfrentam o desafio de retratar de forma exata as ações dos movimentos sociais e os ativistas enfrentam o desafio de conseguir transmitir fielmente as suas mensagens numa cultura jornalística que privilegia as narrativas convencionais e institucionais. O enquadramento dado aos assuntos adquire, neste contexto, uma importância redobrada. Concluiu-se ainda que o conflito e a tensão estão sempre presentes, de forma direta ou indireta, na comunicação ativista. Pelo que a elaboração de argumentos relevantes, a partir de fontes credíveis, adaptados ao tipo de envolvimento cognitivo e emocional dos diferentes públicos com as “histórias”, é essencial para fazer chegar as mensagens a públicos mais amplos e interferir nas perceções sobre a realidade. Nesse sentido, a obtenção de legitimidade pública e mediática está relacionada com a capacidade das organizações ativistas de realizarem diagnósticos e se adaptarem a diferentes contextos fazendo escolhas estratégicas em conformidade. Tendo em conta os resultados obtidos, defende-se a necessidade de criação do ODS18 (Comunicação para todos) para envolver os ativistas por direitos humanos e outros atores sociais na Agenda 2030. É proposta uma agenda para futuros trabalhos no âmbito das perspetivas sócio culturais e críticas em relações públicas, orientada para analisar a influência da atividade na manutenção ou disrupção de determinadas estruturas sociais.
Despite the successive crises of different natures, the decline of democracies and the setbacks of fundamental freedoms, human rights continue to be an anchor for aspirations about global justice. This context has stimulated different types of organizations to use social activism and political rhetoric to defend a wide variety of rights, often divisive and controversial, and which require civic and political engagement as well as imagination. It is known that some social actors face increased challenges in their ability to access mass media, communication technologies and networks of influence. Thereafter, this research has the main objective of understanding how strategic communication, particularly the area of public relations, can contribute to a greater and better public and mediatic representation of Portuguese activist organizations that defend human rights included in the 2030 agenda of the United Nations. An ethnographic study was carried out for six months, between January and June 2021, with two Portuguese activist organizations - UMAR and GAT - to better understand the culture and communication routines of these organizations in the context of their relations with different publics. Twelve experts - CEO's and Directors - from communication and public relations agencies were also interviewed to ascertain their perspectives on the different contributions of this area in the context of human rights activism and the search for social change. Finally, a thematic categorical analysis was carried out - qualitative and quantitative - of all the news (1080) about the organizations under study that were published in the Portuguese media in the year 2021. Each method used in the various stages of the research evidenced different but complementary aspects of the social reality under study, which is complex and multidimensional. One of the main conclusions of this work is that activist public relations is an unexplored area in Portugal, either in terms of academic research or in terms of the various possible practical applications. It was also found that the activist organizations studied seek to influence the political and mediatic agenda using some of the available democratic tools and, intuitively, public relations practices. However, these communication efforts are not framed in an emerging and flexible strategy that manages to articulate the specific dimensions that characterize these interest groups. The existence of a mediatic representation crisis of activists in Portugal was confirmed. The media face the challenge of how to portray exactly the actions of social movements and activists face the challenge of being able to faithfully convey their messages in a journalistic culture that privileges conventional and institutional narratives. The issues framing acquires, in this context, an increased relevance. It was also concluded that conflict and tension are always present, directly, or indirectly, in activist communication. Therefore, the elaboration of relevant arguments, from credible sources, adapted to the type of cognitive and emotional engagement of the different publics with the “stories”, is essential to get the messages to wider publics and interfere in the perceptions of reality. In this sense, obtaining public and media legitimacy is related to the capacity of activist organizations to diagnose and adapt to environmental fluctuations and to make strategic choices accordingly. Considering the results obtained, the need to create the SDG18 (Communication for All) is defended to engage human rights activists and other social actors in the 2030 Agenda. An agenda is proposed for future work within the scope of socio-cultural and critical perspectives in public relations, aimed at analyzing the influence of the activity in the maintenance or disruption of certain social structures.
Despite the successive crises of different natures, the decline of democracies and the setbacks of fundamental freedoms, human rights continue to be an anchor for aspirations about global justice. This context has stimulated different types of organizations to use social activism and political rhetoric to defend a wide variety of rights, often divisive and controversial, and which require civic and political engagement as well as imagination. It is known that some social actors face increased challenges in their ability to access mass media, communication technologies and networks of influence. Thereafter, this research has the main objective of understanding how strategic communication, particularly the area of public relations, can contribute to a greater and better public and mediatic representation of Portuguese activist organizations that defend human rights included in the 2030 agenda of the United Nations. An ethnographic study was carried out for six months, between January and June 2021, with two Portuguese activist organizations - UMAR and GAT - to better understand the culture and communication routines of these organizations in the context of their relations with different publics. Twelve experts - CEO's and Directors - from communication and public relations agencies were also interviewed to ascertain their perspectives on the different contributions of this area in the context of human rights activism and the search for social change. Finally, a thematic categorical analysis was carried out - qualitative and quantitative - of all the news (1080) about the organizations under study that were published in the Portuguese media in the year 2021. Each method used in the various stages of the research evidenced different but complementary aspects of the social reality under study, which is complex and multidimensional. One of the main conclusions of this work is that activist public relations is an unexplored area in Portugal, either in terms of academic research or in terms of the various possible practical applications. It was also found that the activist organizations studied seek to influence the political and mediatic agenda using some of the available democratic tools and, intuitively, public relations practices. However, these communication efforts are not framed in an emerging and flexible strategy that manages to articulate the specific dimensions that characterize these interest groups. The existence of a mediatic representation crisis of activists in Portugal was confirmed. The media face the challenge of how to portray exactly the actions of social movements and activists face the challenge of being able to faithfully convey their messages in a journalistic culture that privileges conventional and institutional narratives. The issues framing acquires, in this context, an increased relevance. It was also concluded that conflict and tension are always present, directly, or indirectly, in activist communication. Therefore, the elaboration of relevant arguments, from credible sources, adapted to the type of cognitive and emotional engagement of the different publics with the “stories”, is essential to get the messages to wider publics and interfere in the perceptions of reality. In this sense, obtaining public and media legitimacy is related to the capacity of activist organizations to diagnose and adapt to environmental fluctuations and to make strategic choices accordingly. Considering the results obtained, the need to create the SDG18 (Communication for All) is defended to engage human rights activists and other social actors in the 2030 Agenda. An agenda is proposed for future work within the scope of socio-cultural and critical perspectives in public relations, aimed at analyzing the influence of the activity in the maintenance or disruption of certain social structures.
Description
Keywords
Comunicação estratégica Relações públicas Movimentos sociais Ativismo Direitos humanos Strategic communication Public relations Social movements Activism Human rights