STRATEGIES OF A BRAZILIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY TO COMMUNICATE SCIENCE IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The circularity of information, enhanced by the technological and social advancement of media platforms, favors the greater reach of rumours, conspiracy theories and communication products that impact, above all, science. In this sense, the new coronavirus pandemic is a historic event with important consequences for humanity and presents, among other challenges, the need to disseminate credible information that helps to combat the spread of the disease. Studying how certain contents are echoed through the use of social networks opens the way to discuss how the public communication of science is articulated with the narratives circulating on the networks. It is from this context that the present study presents itself, by mapping the communication strategies in virtual social networks implemented by the University of São Paulo (USP), which, according to indicators, figures as the largest research producer in Brazil and second in Latin America. The content analysis of Facebook posts, published during the initial months of registration of cases and deaths from the virus, from February to April 2020, sought to understand the relationship between media communication and the responsibility of organizations that produce science for combat disinformation and denialist movements.