Description
The present work is situated in the field of Public Communication studies. It was guided by the following problem: how does the use of plain language relate to the contemporary precepts of Public Communication? The investigation is centered on the analysis of the Municipal Law nr. 17.316/2020, which established the Municipal Plain Language Policy in the City of São Paulo and became the first formalized plain language public policy in Brazil. The research is based on the theoretical debate about the right and access to information, and its connections to the precepts of Public Communication, considering the panorama of Brazilian social transformation after the Access to Information Law. The study was theoretically and conceptually supported by Critical Discourse Analysis, through bibliographic research, narrative literature review, discourse analysis and document research and analysis, based on the parameters of the case study. Despite the fact that the Access to Information Law has been designed to guarantee the right to information, it was observed that the implementation of public policies which provide effective guidelines for the promotion of dialogic communication is fundamental in the exercise of citizenship. From the debate about the socially inclusive practice of public discourse and the State's duty to guarantee transparency, it was concluded that the discourse changes proposed by plain language public policies are a matter of interest in Public Communication.