Anna Lusińska

The aim of the article is to identify the social campaign used as a tool for government crisis communication in social media in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland and to attempt to analyse and evaluate the information provided through advertising spots dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic in the light of Internet users’ opinions. Quantitative and qualitative research methods were used, including source studies, media content analysis, desk research and case study. The authors put forward the thesis that by means of selected spots aired as part of the social campaign conducted by the Ministry of Health, during the first year of the pandemic in Poland (from March 4, 2020, to March 4, 2021), this Ministry tried to inform and educate the public about safety and public health measures implemented to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The results of the research showed the government’s lack of experience in using new media channels in crisis communication, which caused a fierce public discourse in social media, for which the rulers were not prepared. The discourse in Polish society, emerging from the comments of users of selected social media on the information provided through advertising spots dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic, stimulates and encourages action, arousing anxiety due to the disruption of the established information order. We can discuss its potential to generate changes, on condition that social information campaigns are carefully prepared.

Given the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused global social and economic disruptions, including the largest global recession since the Great Depression, and therefore the lack of reliable information on the situation related to the spread of the virus, Polish authorities in government news releases, through social campaigns, reached for social media. The article aimed to identify and analyze selected media tools used in government communication during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland, as well as an attempt to assess this type of communication. The text uses methods such as case study, desk research, and media content analysis. The following research questions were posed: how did the Polish government try to inform the public opinion about the dangers of the pandemic? What content was the government communicating to the Poles through social campaigns regarding the pandemic? What was the reaction of Polish society to crisis government communication? What picture is emerging from the crisis government communication using social media in Poland during the pandemic, and what are the conclusions of this? Research has shown that the crisis communication of the Polish government sparked a discussion of a confused society on social media. At the same time, it showed the inability of the Polish government to use social media to communicate with society in a life- and health-threatening situation. The article joins the discussion on the methods and quality of government communication in Poland during the greatest crisis of the 21st century.

In the age of continued instability, constant crises, age of not coping with building-up problems of the globalizing world, increasingly the role of social leaders is taken by non-governmental organizations, such as Polska Akcja Humanitarna. It quickly and accurately diagnoses social problems, in order to reduce them. In order to meet the challenges posed in front, not only by its own region or country, but also by the globalizing world, it performs its tasks at the level of the general public. In carrying out the mission of global humanitarian aid it uses, inter alia, modern marketing communications tools, including the interactive communication in social media.

Today’s world, speeding in optical fibers of new technologies, largely focusing on Internet users a variety of social media, forced the non-profit institutions – organizations, foundations education in the fields of social problems using their tools. You do not have Facebook? Today you do not exist – say these modern young generation X, Y and Z on high-speed connections drifting across borders globalized world. In it they create its image – professional, personal, intimate. Because a wide range of Facebook, unmatched in the flow of relevant and irrelevant information, and the low cost of the promotion are the arguments, which does not have any traditional medium. Thus leading social campaigns on Facebook opens up significant opportunities. They also apply to two issues directly related to it – undesirable social contacts, rejection or addiction. The first refers to Polski Czerwony Krzyż campaign in 2010 entitled: “Facebook is not life”. Through its analysis sought to show how Facebook, based on the mechanisms of rapid and shallow Internet communications, affects interpersonal relationships, especially socializing and what it could have consequences in real life. This step in the social environment rated as fast action, regardless, unconditional and reckless consequences that direct contacts, especially sexual, would be tragic and irreversible.
The campaign was a success. In two days led to social, international discourse (in 150 countries) on the mindless making friends, which usually takes place on Facebook, in the context of prevention of HIV.

Argument/objective: In view of the growing negative phenomenon of hate speech in the social media, targeted informational and educational activities in the public sphere seem important and necessary, for the common good and in the common interest, as a reminder of respect for the other person and respect for his or her rights. The aim of the article is to identify and analyse the selected project in terms of the occurrence, spread and scale of the hate speech phenomenon in social media and to try to evaluate this type of communication. Research methods, research questions: The text uses methods such as case study, desk research and media content analysis. The following research questions were posed: how does the broadly understood civil society, and in principle its representatives, try to oppose hate speech? For what purpose are social projects against hate speech created and implemented? Do social projects against hate speech show the scale of this phenomenon, its horror and immorality? What image of Poles, including Polish Internet users (and in the case of a selected YouTube project) emerges from them? and how do they exchange views on the subject and what conclusions do they draw from this? Results and conclusions: Research has shown that when modern society, which is largely civic, starts to rebel against injustice, lack of respect for others, or socially unacceptable behaviour, including hate speech, it reaches for tools of opposition, among others. Projects such as these are born in this way: Incubator of Ideas, #StopMowieNienawiści, or the title one, analysed: Grażyna Żarko. Catholic Voice on the Internet. This non-commercial, over two months long project, and at the same time a media, Internet provocation carried out in the form of a Polish vlog, showed not only the enormous scale of the problem of “verbal violence”of Polish Internet users on the example of YouTube, but also the lack of preventive actions and responsibility, or rather criminal consequences, for example, incurred for this type of conduct. Cognitive value: The article is part of the discussion on the way and quality of communication of Polish society, with particular emphasis on hate speech, through new media.

The promotion of Polish culture is an important element for economic and social development of the country, building his image after for its borders, and especially solid brand ‘Poland’. Government action in this regard is based primarily on ministerial programs. One of them is the program of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage supporting the promotion of Polish abroad by culture.

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) are becoming increasingly popular. One of the methods of ADR are mediations. They consist in making an attempt to reach a settlement or a mutually satisfactory resolution of a conflict through mediation – a third party, which is neutral towards all parties and subject of the conflict, designed to help work out a compromise. The survey conducted by the Ministry of Justice proved that mediation is not very well known by the Poles. The main reason for the lack of interest in this method of dispute resolution is insufficient knowledge among justice practitioners and the general public. In the absence of sufficient knowledge, lack of social acceptance for the extra-judicial settlement of disputes is also apparent. The Ministry of Justice decided to change this state in the government of PO in late 2011 and 2012, emphasizing the importance of this problem with a national, educational and informational social campaign, which circulated in the mass media and was entitled: You have the right to mediation.