Mexico City, October 4, 2023.- Graduate students from the School of Government and Economics and the School of Communication of the University of Mexico held the First Forum on Communication and Politics, with the aim of promoting dialogue and academic reflection on the possibility of building a new political culture in Mexico, based on the transformation of communication. Universidad Panamericanaheld the First Forum on Communication and Politics, with the aim of promoting dialogue and academic reflection on the possibility of building a new political culture in Mexico, based on the transformation of communication.
Learning, critique and reflection
During the welcome, Dr. Santiago García Álvarez, rector of the Panamericana, Mexico campus, applauded the forum, a space for construction, learning, criticism and reflection.
He also stressed: "In the management of emotions, in terms of communication or politics, there can be exacerbations on certain issues that lead to polarization, but also, unfortunately, to populism".
"(...) It seems to me that it is precisely a matter of building, in a much more assertive and critical way, a transparent and participatory political culture, centered on democratic values," he added.
For his part, Dr. Mariano Navarro, dean of the School of Communication, emphasized: "This type of forum, organized by two schools, is necessary (...) so that those of us who are part of a political unit in our country can have a full life, in peace, knowing that we have to reconcile different world views that are presented to us, but that are part of our whole".
Vindication of ethical values
Dr. Guillermo Tenorio Cueto, dean of the School of Government and Economics, noted:
"The young people who intend to insert themselves in the construction of the public and government, bet on understanding that politics is not only a technique of power for personal benefit. For them, the vindication of ethical values in the exercise of government action is a goal".
With regard to democracy, he pointed out that the different platforms on the Internet "(...) are jeopardizing authentic freedom of expression (...), turning it into poles of segmentation, spaces of manipulation and polarized conditioning that will prevent, in the future, dialogue, debate and rational interpretation," he said.
Metaverse 2024
During the presentation Metaverse 2024Gisela Rubach, political strategist, first woman consultant in the Hall of Fame of the Reed Latinos and the Women Economic Forum, commented: "the metaverse is already being seen in the pre-campaigns and we will surely see it applied in the electoral campaigns in Mexico for 2024".
"How do we separate the line that allows us to see an augmented virtual reality, where we can build the world we want and that has nothing to do with the reality that is being lived?" he questioned.
Language, values and culture
Alejandro Motta, president of Thinko Consulting, a political communication and public opinion consulting firm, gave a lecture on Language, values and culture: another way to build political communication..
In it, he addressed how the use of language and the promotion of values can influence society's perception of politics. He also spoke about the importance of political communication based on respect, empathy and clarity, and how it can contribute to the construction of a more inclusive and participatory political culture.
"Today we have a citizenry that is more connected, more demanding and follower of political processes," he said.
Leading the polls
Fernando Mejorado, political consultant of the European Union for Central America and the Caribbean and Director of Plan E Strategy and Communication, presented the topic Leading the Pollsand conducted an analysis of the political and communication agendas.
In this way, he indicated: "The important thing in the operation is the political agenda, since it is there where the narrative is built and this must be reinforced in all campaign strategies. This marks the straight and narrow route for the candidate to grow in the polls".
Social Networks and Public Image
Anna Laura Montiel, media analyst and general director of Communication and Political Image, developed the topic of Social Networks and Public Imagein which she explored the influence of social networks in the construction of the public image of political actors .
He mentioned that social networks are effective communication channels that generate perception and are very important in the construction of politicians' positioning and decision making.
He stressed: "Politicians seek power, recognition, leadership, credibility, legitimacy and the vote". To achieve this, he suggested three pillars: publish every day, take care of the image to be presented and the message to be transmitted.
The Empire of Other Data
To conclude the event, the book The Empire of Other Databy Luis Estrada Straffon, founder and current general director of SPIN-Taller de Comunicación Política.
The author spoke about the importance of proper information management in politics and its impact on decision making, or in a contrary sense, the political consequences of misusing or mismanaging information/data that distort social reality.
