Suchergebnisse

Digital media, web 2.0, social networks had and still have a great -in an incredibly fast period of timeimpact in the way in which individuals and organizations communicate. Public organizations (schools, institutions, health services) arrived late to embrace the need for more transparency, more involvement, participation required by their public/target. Nevertheless new media and new scenarios represent a great opportunity for the public governments and can lead them to move towards new horizons. To make this possible, it is certainly necessary a paradigm change that can break the ordinary flow of information (from the institution to citizens), in favor of a different framework (a participative communication between institution and citizens). This means that institution should, on the one hand, adopt innovative strategies to use traditional communication practices and, on the other hand, implement effective strategies of using digital and social media. This is not always the case (Gola, Meloni, Porcu, 2018; Lovari, 2017). Our goal is to show some examples (in three different fields: public administration, health and cultural heritage/education) of best practices in public communication that have been implemented in the last few years. Our theoretical conclusion is that the paradigm change affects one of the most famous principle of communication affirmed by Marshall McLuhan: "The medium is the message". We aim to show that in the nowadays media environment, instead, the message defines the medium and structures the relationship (Gola, Meloni, Porcu, in preparation).

Social networks are really useful tools for public communication if we are able to manage them to improve the effectiveness of our messages in terms of engagement of citizens. Health is no exception. On the contrary, it is a fertile ground on which to innovate to make patients' lives easier, increasing online services and stimulating the interaction and communicating with patients. On this basis, we present a research about the social communication applied to public services. We analyze it, individuating crucial matters and innovative solutions. Social communication is transparency, involvement and information: three valid key points also for public communication in general, which can move towards new horizons and represents a great opportunity for the public governments. On the basis of statistical analysis and direct experience, we conclude that introducing social media in public organizations, and in health organizations in particular, is not only useful, but it is a real public service. On the one hand, users want to interact and give a feedback; on the other hand, they increasingly require services that are delivered through mobile devices, which avoid waste of time. All these changes can greatly contribute to make the public health and the public administration more citizen-friendly.

The persuasive power of metaphor is often seen in opposition to rational procedures in argumentation, which should guarantee deliberative democracy in the public sphere. Against this view, referable to the classic theory of argumentation, we adopt the argumentative theory of reasoning (MERCIER, SPERBER 2011) and present the results of an experimental study on the role of metaphors in a specific argumentative fallacy, the quaternio terminorum (ERVAS, LEDDA 2014; ERVAS, GOLA, LEDDA, SERGIOLI 2015). In light of the experimental evidence, we argue that (1) it is no longer possible to evaluate the role of metaphors in argumentation without distinguishing different kinds of metaphors (in the experimental study the distinction between dead and live metaphors is analysed); (2) it is possible to identify different argumentative styles (i.e. argumentative persuasion and reflective argumentation). Connecting different kinds of metaphors with different argumentative styles, we propose an interpretative framework able to integrate persuasion and argumentation.