Jornalistas na linha de frente : rotina e transformações nas assessorias dos hospitais públicos referência para Covid-19 na Paraíba

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges worldwide, especially for healthcare institutions that, through their communication offices, faced a significant increase in demand for accurate and up-to-date information about the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Public hospital communication advisors were on the front lines of this challenge, dealing with the pressure to disseminate reliable information while navigating an environment of high uncertainty and overwhelming data volumes. Using participant observation as the primary methodology (Edlock, 2005; Serva & Jaime Júnior, 1995; Adler & Adler, 1987) and supported by in-depth interviews (Duarte, 2008), this study investigates the role of communication advisors in state public health units designated as reference centers for Covid-19 treatment in Paraíba, Brazil, from March 2020 to March 2021. Throughout the research, we draw on multidisciplinary reflections on concepts and studies in the fields of Communication and Health (Martinez, 2016; Motta, 2022; Silva, 2005); Communication Advisory (Carvalho, 2009; Duarte, 2011); Journalism and Misinformation (Duarte, 2011; Bueno, 2014; Lima, Mick, 2022; Figaro, Nicoletti, 2023) to guide the analysis regarding the changes in routine and communication practices adopted by journalists, as well as to explore the professional impact of the pandemic response — whether beneficial or harmful. At the end of the investigation, among other findings, it is evident that professionals faced job precarization and workload intensification, yet played a crucial role not only in informing the public but also in crisis management and maintaining public trust.