Repenser les Relations Publiques en temps de pandémie : La communication numérique du Polytechnique de Portalegre

Abstract

This article intends to understand how the communication praxis of a public Higher Education Institution in Portugal - the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre - took place, with regard to digital communication during the first wave of COVID-19. First, some general theoretical outlines on organizational spirituality, digital public relations, crisis communication and communication in higher education are explained. Then, through qualitative research, of an exploratory nature, the online communication practices that emerged in academic confinement are described and analyzed. Based on the possibilities of digital communication and the actions implemented by the institution, some inferences are proposed regarding the role of Public Relations in the digital context, the relevance of emotional communication and its connection to organizational spirituality. It is concluded that the pandemic demonstrated that the institutional digital communicational practices, in this case, manifested themselves not only as actions based on the unidirectional information-al model, but also as instruments that promote the emotional bond between the institution and its audiences, seeking to achieve on the bidirectional model favoring audience participation, thus reinforcing principles that are at the heart of Public Relations: connection, union and spirituality.