It is now banal to speak of the information society. The term, applying to both the increasing
production and consumption of information, also entails an ever increasing diversification in the sources of information and vectors of communication. For public institutions, wether in Switzerland, the United States or China, this has meant a corresponding increase in the importance of communication (both from a strategic and a financial point of view). Communication, just like many other tasks, is perceived differently when carried-out by public institutions. Public sector institutions have to communicate differently than private sectors organisations.
This course aims at addressing these specificities from a theoretical and practical point of view. The increase in communication by governments, public institutions, non-governmental organisations, and international organisations is raising numerous questions: When is communicating appropriate? What can be communicated? What are the limits between public and political communication? What are the ethical boundaries of communication? Should governments be more transparent in their communication?
With the development of the notions of participation and openess as key metrics of public sector governance, communication takes on an added importance for institution and for citizens. It is in that context, and from an international point of view, that these themes will be explored.
