Públicos em relações públicas : abordagens para o ambiente digital em tempo de pandemia

Abstract

From the perspective of the Political Organizational Function, Public Relations is responsible for managing the organization-public system. Given this premise, the activity aims to avoid conflicts and seek mutual cooperation. However, it is understood that these conceptions demand a disruption, due to the current situation of relationships, based on digital environments. Dealing specifically with digital social networks, it is clear that publics have a more empowered role, endowed with freedom of voice and the ability to influence organizational actions, as they are also influenced by them. However, knowing that publics are objects of Public Relations, the study of how they are characterized on social platforms becomes crucial for the activity. Digital social networks are understood as the platforms that enable social interactions. Therefore, it is essential to know the individuals who are part of the organization-public system specifically in these environments. In view of this very peculiar scenario, promoted by the freedom provided in digital social networks, it appears that the context of the pandemic, established in the world in 2020, further accentuated these specificities, boosting new perspectives regarding organizational relationships. This reality gave rise to the interest of this research, with special attention to the specific audiences of a cemetery, located in Piauí, which approaches the theme of death with humor. The greatest intent, however, is the way Cemi's audiences are characterized on Facebook, in a pandemic context. Given the above, we intend to answer the following question: how can Cemi's audiences be characterized, in the context of the pandemic, based on the mapping of public approaches in Public Relations in the digital environment? The research objectives are: to map the evolution of public relations ratings in Public Relations addressed by reference authors on this topic; highlight the characteristics of audiences in digital social networks revealed by authors who research these platforms; and seek new characteristics in the audiences of a cemetery that satirically addresses death during the pandemic. The study begins with a bibliographical research, consulting references in their different areas of study. Completing the evolutionary process of traditional approaches, we look for subsidies in Simões (1995), Kunsch (2003), Andrade (1989), Fortes (2003), Cesca (2006), França (2004) and Steffen (2008). Recuero (2009), Primo (2012), Barichello and Carvalho (2013), Dijck, Poell and Wall (2013), Lasta (2017), Pellanda (2009), Dreyer (2017), Corrêa (2016) and others support the understandings about digital social networks and how audiences are characterized in these environments. A desk research complements the study. The process ends with a content analysis, proposed by Bardin (1977). The analysis allows us to observe that the traditional classifications can still be found in the audiences of digital social networks, as long as they are adapted to this reality. In addition, characteristics not found in the consulted studies emerge, showing that audiences should be studied according to the particularities of the digital environment, the organizations with which they are involved and the context in which relationships take place.