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This article discusses the infodemic in Argentina and Brazil. Based on the sociology of social problems approach, it analyses the discourse and practices of 17 interviewees who are involved in raising public awareness and influencing political decision-makers regarding the effects of the infodemic. The results show that they condemn the politicisation of scientific information. In both countries, the interviewees have questioned the effectiveness of state regulation and platform self-regulation, emphasising the need to improve the media's science reporting, invest in science literacy, and develop fact-checking strategies to prevent the spread of scientific misinformation

This study analyzes the coverage of Folha de S. Paulo and Gazeta do Povo regarding the actions of the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Using content analysis, we examined how the newspapers portrayed the CFM’s stance on treatment and vaccination. “Early treatment” was the most frequent topic (40%), and “politicians” were the most cited actors (28%). While 96% of the texts published by Gazeta defended the CFM, 98% of those published by Folha criticized the institution.

In this work we carry out a bibliographic review of open access academic production on communication and the COVID-19 pandemic (from March 2020 to October 2023) in Argentina and Mexico. The corpus (n=101) was compiled from digital libraries, while we used an original self-designed protocol to analyze it considering volume, topics studied and methodological approaches. The most studied topics were media consumption in Argentina and public perception in Mexico, while social media was underrepresented. The results, according to the methodological approach employed, indicate a lack of propositional studies that strengthen the social framework in the face of future health challenges, as well as a scarce use of hybrid methodologies (quali/quanti) and interdisciplinary perspectives to address new complex challenges.

The study describes and analyzes the production of a health communication podcast based on the ‘Health Handbook of Persons Affected by Leprosy’, produced by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, in 2020. In a study that analyzed the perception of users treated at a specialized public outpatient clinic, it was observed that some of them were unable to read and interpret printed text. The perceived difficulties motivated the adaptation of the content and, thus, the Podhans podcast was created. With accessible and relaxed language, the 16 episodes explore useful topics about the daily lives of people with leprosy and the disease, created from listening to users and considering principles of public communication. Available online, it can be used in the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) services and by social movements, expanding access to health information and communication about leprosy.

During the covid-19 pandemic in Brazil, it was observed that a great number of false messages circulated on social media. Most of these messages featured scientific and technological elements. This article analyzes how scientific and technological aspects were used in false messages about the pandemic. From the Latam Chequea Coronavírus databank, we have compiled 152 false messages that featured the inappropriate use of scientific knowledge. The results showed that false messages appropriated science and technology to usurp their social value in search of credibility. To achieve this, the fake news used verbal-visual resources, authorities and mixed true and false information

We question, from the perspective of public communication, how the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Brazil) responded to COVID-19. The question, asked to communication professionals at the institution two years after the start of the pandemic, sought to identify challenges and elements of institutional learning and understand the possibilities and limits of communication in the context of disinfodemic and political crisis. Qualitative research of an exploratory nature carried out through semi-structured interviews and, alternatively, the use of documentary sources indicates that Fiocruz recognizes public communication (science and health) as a process under construction and a strategic and structuring factor for the full implementation of its Communication Policy.

This article investigates the role of media behavior in the adherence of Brazilians to the three main non-pharmacological measures (NPIs) endorsed by global health organizations against COVID-19: the use of face masks, social distancing, and frequent handwashing. Following the outbreak of a pandemic when vaccines are not yet available, the adoption of these behaviors may be the only effective measure against the threats of a new disease. Grounded in social cognitive theory, we examine the behavioral determinants of adherence to these measures in Brazil, a middle-income country marked by significant economic and informational inequalities. Brazil, one of the countries most severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, was led by former President Jair Bolsonaro, who showed little regard for the use of face masks and encouraged large gatherings at political events. Our findings, based on an online survey administered to a sample of 2,771 individuals, indicate that media-related determinants such as knowledge about COVID-19, the use of social and traditional media, and belief in a conspiracy theory regarding the origin of the coronavirus play a significant role in explaining adherence to preventive measures. In contrast, other determinants such as political preferences, sociodemographic characteristics, and environmental factors play a secondary role.

This work analyzes the communication processes of the contents of scientific dissemination of the project ‘Articles and authors in the media and social media: for innovative and accessible scientific dissemination of Reciis’. The study is based on the assumption that scientific dissemination is a way
of knowledge produced in the mediations of scientific culture. Break up of praxis as a theoretical-methodological contribution in order to highlight the effects discursive aspects of the materials. We propose that such practices mediated with the presence (bodies and voices) of Reciis authors in the media present innovative ways of communicating science.

The main objective of this work is to identify the communicative elements essential to generating effective communication of health and its relationship with health policies, actions, and strategies. To do this, based on a case study, interviews were carried out with doctors and researchers in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Mexico. We realized an analysis of how medical and scientific communities relate to society, from their participation in spaces within scientific communities and openness to the dialogues and challenges they face. Finally, we proposed communicative elements to establish effective health communication.