Leonarda García-Jiménez

Identifying the Field of Health Communication

This empirical investigation addresses four paradigmatically framed research questions to illuminate the epistemological status of the field of health communication, systematically addressing the limitations of existing disciplinary introspections. A content analysis of published health communication research indicated that the millennium marked a new stage of health communication research with a visible shift onto macro-level communication of health information among nonhealth professionals. The analysis also revealed the emergence of a paradigm around this particular topic area, with its contributing scholars predominantly sharing postpositivistic thought traditions and cross-sectional survey-analytic methodologies. More interdisciplinary collaborations and meta-theoretical assessments are needed to facilitate a continued growth of this evolving paradigm, which may advance health communication scholars in their search for a disciplinary identity.

Crisis communication in the area of risk management: the CriCoRM project

Background During the last H1N1 pandemic has emerged the importance of crisis communication as an essential part of health crisis management. The Project aims specifically to improve the understanding of crisis communication dynamics and effective tools and to allow public health institutions to communicate better with the public during health emergencies. Design and methods The Project will perform different activities: i) state of the art review; ii) identification of key stakeholders; iii) communicational analysis performed using data collected on stakeholder communication activities and their outcomes considering the lessons learnt from the analysis of the reasons for differing public reactions during pandemics; iv) improvement of the existing guidelines; v) development of Web 2.0 tools as web-platform and feed service and implementation of impact assessment algorithms; vi) organization of exercises and training on this issues. Expected impact of the study for public health In the context of health security policies at an EU level, the project aims to find a common and innovative approach to health crisis communication that was displayed by differing reactions to the H1N1 pandemic policies. The focus on new social media tools aims to enhance the role of e-health, and the project aims to use these tools in the specific field of health institutions and citizens. The development of Web 2.0 tools for health crisis communication will allow an effective two-way exchange of information between public health institutions and citizens. An effective communication strategy will increase population compliance with public health recommendations. Significance for public health The specific aim of the project is to develop a European strategy approach on how to communicate with the population and with different stakeholders groups involved in the crisis management process, based on an analysis of the communication process during the H1N1 pandemic (content analysis of press releases, press coverage and forum discussions) and on interviews with key stakeholders in health crisis communication. The development of web 2.0 tools, providing rapid responses will allow real-time verification of awareness of social trends and citizens’ response. Furthermore, the project would like to offer these resources to the EU Public Health Institutions and EU citizens to improve their interaction, and hence reinforce citizens’ right to patient-centred health care. The project proposal has been designed in accordance with the general principles of ethics and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights with regard to human rights, values, freedom, solidarity, and better protection of European citizens.

Sexualidad, género, religión e interculturalidad en los relatos informativos civilizatorios y culturales de las televisiones españolas

Este articulo es producto del proyecto de Investigacion titulado “Analisis de los relatos audiovisuales sobre civilizaciones y culturas. Representaciones e interpretaciones de los relatos informativos de la television” referencia CSO2011-23786, financiado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion de Espana.

La representación de la tecnología: tecnocultura, empoderamiento y transformación social

Resumen La tecnociencia, la tecnocultura y la tecnocracia son procesos convergentes que definen la era contemporánea. Todos ellos están construidos sobre una ideología que presenta a la tecnología no como un medio sino como un fin, una realidad autosuficiente para mejorar la realidad, que resta poder de acción al ser humano. Partiendo de estos conceptos, este artículo explora la representación televisiva de la tecnología en los noticiarios en España, uno de los países más afectados por la crisis económica, durante los meses de mayo a junio de 2012. Se han tomado prestadas del Análisis Crítico del Discurso las ideas de agentividad y deagentivización para determinar el rol que los ciudadanos juegan en la construcción mediática de la tecnología. Se ha observado que los medios describen la tecnología como una solución natural para salir de la crisis, al mismo tiempo que una fuente automática de transformación social. Los medios retratan a los ciudadanos como espectadores, participantes pasivos y asombrados ante unos desarrollos tecnológicos que los superan.