The relations among communication, mass media and local democracy are analysed here from an empirical case of the Belo Horizonte's Prefecture. In May 2003 the Prefecture started a publicity campaign entitled Who likes BH, has one's own way to show it (Quem gosta de BH tem seu jeito de mostrar). Two distinct assumptions arise from an ideal image of political participation that guides the campaign. In one hand the campaign claims for a division of tasks among citizens that would improve the life qualityin the city. In the other hand it imposes a restriction to political participation by giving to citizens the false status of collaborators in solving colctive problems. The strategic use of mass media creates a sensation of proximity between municipal government and citizens while a real deliberation process does not take place among the inhabitants. The campaign policy discourse assigns specific actors and actions, underlining their contributions to collective good as a path to generate internal political and cultural cohesion within the city.
local democracy; participation; mass media; public sphere; publicity campaign
