How does the oversight institution use online communication? The idea of public transparency on the social networks of the Office of the Comptroller General

Abstract

The article investigates whether and how the Office of the Comptroller General (CGU) addresses the idea of transparency in its social network profiles. Three questions guide our analysis: How is the idea of public transparency mobilized by the CGU on Facebook and Twitter? Since Facebook and Twitter have different structures and users, which communication strategies are privileged in each network? To what extent have CGU’s digital communication routines been transformed in the transition between the Rousseff and Temer governments? The Content Analysis of 4,212 publications on Facebook and Twitter in 2015 and 2016 revealed that the institution favors two issues: transparency and corruption. Furthermore, public authorities are rarely mentioned, moving away from a personalist perspective of instrumentalizing communication. We also found out that government transition influenced the CGU’s publishing routines.

political communication; social networking site s; transparency; public communication; Brazilian office of the comptroller general