Public communication as an instrument for the development, democracy and construction of citizenship: analysis of transparency practices and access to information in the Municipality of São Luís, MA

Abstract:

In the contemporary era, public communication is established through information and communication technologies (ICT). This research aimed to verify the contribution of the ICT to the development of São Luís, capital of Maranhão State, specifically regarding access to information. Field research was conducted with questionnaires applied to 384 residents for their perception of the theme and semi-structured interviews with municipal managers. The results showed that this municipality lacks educational policies that provide and equip its citizens for the use of ICT, as well as there is little use of e-SIC, the official channel adopted by the municipality for requests for access to information.

Keywords:
development; information and communication technologies; public communication; access to information