August 27, 2025

Ten years of Obcomp History

Public Communication Observatory completes a decade of action this August 27, 2025. Over the years, dozens of researchers have contributed to the permanent critical observation of public communication. Currently, 18 people, including students, teachers and researchers, from seven universities, are part of the OBCOMP team and contribute to the maintenance of this public research space, classification and sharing of content and products related to the field of public communication. 

Check out the timeline with the highlights that marked the history of the Public Communication Observatory:

27/08/2015

• Foundation of the Public Communication Observatory with funds obtained by the MCTI/CNPq/MEC/CAPES 43/2013, linked to the Public Communication and Political Communication Research Center (NUCOP), under the general coordination of the researcher teacher Maria Helena Weber and executive coordination of Ana Javes Luz. and power relations (GCCOP). Launch event took place on August 27, 2015, at the UFRGS Graduate Program in Communication. OBCOMP's official opening was preceded by the conference of Professor Vera Regina França (UFMG).

Caption: OBCOMP production team at the project's launch event with Vera França lecture held on 08/27/2015, at the Faculty of Library and Communication at UFRGS

2015

• In addition to UFRGS, UFSC composes the initial team of OBCOMP, with the participation of Professor Carlos Locatelli. 

2016

• UFSM Campus Frederico Westphalen joins the OBCOMP team, with Professor Janaína Gomes.

2017

• NUCOP and OBCOMP make up the network of research groups and laboratories in the country and abroad of the newly founded National Institute of Science and Technology in Digital Democracy - INCT DD.

2020

• OBCOMP 5th anniversary, with the celebration of results achieved in the period: 410 published news, 411 scientific articles, 240 theses and dissertations so far, reflecting the strengthening of the observatory.

• Participation as a founding member of the National Network to Combat Disinformation - RNCD, in which it continues to act.

• Obcomp is the object of study of the elective discipline thematic seminar on advertising and advertising course in UFRGS Advertising, taught by Professor Maria Berenice Machado. 

2021

• Participation in the 1st Meeting of the Latin American Network of Chairs and Observatories of Communication and Information, Culture and Social Development, in which it continues to collaborate today. 

• Observatory is the object of research of the articles society articles and the challenges for public communication: the OBCOMP case, by Bruno Kegler; Ana Javes Luz and Rejane Pozzobon, and observation, criticism and public communication in the face of pandemic, by Ana Javes Luz.

• OBCOMP PARTICIPATION IN THE UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER WITH MONTHLY CRITICAL ANALYSIS COLUMN OF VEHICLE UNDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION POINT OF A UNIVERSITY, Activity that extended until 2022.

2022

• OBCOMP is registered as an extension project at UFRGS, UFSC and UFSM. At UFRGS, the extension project was initially coordinated by Professor Maria Berenice Machado and is currently conducted by teachers Fiorenza Carnielli and Basilio Sartor; At UFSC is coordinated by Carlos Locatelli and at UFSM by Janaína Gomes.

• UFPel Integration to OBCOMP team, under the coordination of Professor Caroline Casali

2023

• The experience of elective discipline that analyzes campaigns of public interest from the OBCOMP collection gave rise to the mandatory discipline for the Advertising course, under the name political propaganda and public interest.

• Obcomp becomes part of the network that is part of the National Observatory of Violence against Journalists and Communicators, initiative of the Ministry of Justice. and Public Security through the National Secretariat of Justice (Senajus).

• debut of the new OBCOMP website, with new visual identity, highlighting the news and reorganization of the library, among other adjustments. On the occasion, two new sections were also launched: “Gallery”, with the publication of exhibitions of images of guest artists, and “paths and knowledge”, with interviews by renowned authors and researchers in the area of public communication and political.

• Participation in the Media and Democracy Council, an initiative of the European Union delegation and the FGV School of Communication, Media and Information, whose works extended until 2024.

2024

• Integration of Unipampa and UnB to OBCOMP team with local coordinations of teachers Sara Feitosa (Unipampa) and Marlise Brenol (UnB).

• In coping with the climate catastrophe that affected Rio Grande do Sul, Obcomp integrates task force to combat RNCD led to misinformation. At UFSM, the “Truth or Lie” radio programming series was a joint initiative of the OBCOMP/UFSM-FW Extension Project, the 'Hand in the Media' Extension Program (UFSM-FW) and the research projects 'Middiacy Ecosystem Disinformation: Identification, Understanding and Strategies of Coping' and 'Sound Platform: A Study on Production, Circulation and Sound Journalism' (UFSM). At UFRGS, Obcomp conducts a survey of initiatives from the public sector, civil society and journalistic organizations in response to the disinformation content related to floods.

• OBCOMP was represented at the event "Promote the Information Integrity: Fighting Disinformation, Hate Speech and Threats to Public Institutions online", an activity integral from the G20 year in Brazil. The event was held by the Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic in partnership with UNESCO and brought together representatives of the member countries in the G20 Digital Economics Working Group.

• OBCOMP performance related to floods reflected in reaching the visibility of the observatory: the site had a 241% increase in access compared to the previous month and social networks reached 5 times more users than the number of followers of project profiles, which demonstrates the achievement of scientific knowledge in society. 

• Realization of the IV Nucop Journey of Public Communication with the theme “Public Communication and the Climate Tragedies of Water in the South” with studies on scientific production, practices and research projects linked to NUCOP E & AgraS; S Public Communication Observatory activities.

2025

• Obcomp integrates Brazil's global initiative for the integrity of climate change information, promoted by the Secretariat of Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic.

• Project completes 10 years of action.

Caption: NUCOP Team gathered at the IV NUCOP Journey of Public Communication held on November 21 and 22, 2024, at Fabico - UFRGS.