Tecniche innovative di sentiment analysis per le scienze sociali: Comunicazione pubblica sanitaria e utenti in rete durante la pandemia Covid-19

In the digital age, blogs, forums, and social media have generated an immense volume of data, providing an unprecedented lens into public opinion. The abundance of big social media data has made sentiment analysis (SA) emerges an a essential tool for monitoring citizens' reactions, identifying opinion trends, detecting misinformation, and assessing the emotional impact of institutional communications particularly in the health sector. This study examines the application of SA to the digital communication of public institutions, focusing specifically on health communication during the Covid-19 pandemic. This period of crisis and emergency triggered profound cognitive and emotional responses, prompting individuals and communities to reasses their beliefs, values, behaviors, and social connections. The pandemic underscored the critical importance of strategic communication capable of managing the public’s emotional and cognitive reactions, fostering informed trust and alleviating concerns. By analyzing posts and comments on the Ministry of Health's Facebook account across the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic periods, this study seeks to identify effective institutional communication strategies during emergency. Additionally, it offers fresh perspectives on the evolution of crisis communication in the digital age and highlights the pivotal role of social media in this context.