Frontiers of religion: the communication on Instagram between Pope Francis and women

Abstract

This study analyzes qualitatively Pope Francis’s manner of communication in digital media, more precisely on the digital application Instagram, considering his contents, goals, approaches and the relationship with some theoretical foundations. The analysis was developed based on videos and pictures in the @franciscus profile of the application. In relation to the public, the impact of this communication on the female audience was analyzed through the observing of some comments in two specific videos. The theoretical foundations included the epistemological contribution of Douglas Kellner, Roberto Tietzmann, in addition to other researchers. As a methodological basis, the technique of content analysis was used based on Laurence Bardin, Christian Laville and Jean Dionne. Preliminary results indicate signs that Pope Francis achieves his goals by obtaining support from digital resources to expand his evangelization.