Digital Voices in Early Days: Analysing Local Government Social Media Approaches to Risk Communication during the Initial Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

Abstract

This study evaluates the communication strategies utilised by local governmental bodies in Indonesia concerning the risk communication associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, an analysis is conducted on the impact of these communication approaches in promoting public engagement. In this study, we collected a dataset consisting of 1,577 tweets that originated from five different local governments in Indonesia. This dataset was obtained using web crawling techniques and was intended to be used for content analysis purposes. The findings of this study demonstrate that local governments employ a diverse range of risk communication strategies. This encompasses the distribution of medical knowledge, protocols for maintaining health, frequent reports on the COVID-19 status in different areas, governmental measures, initiatives for public education, community engagement endeavours, information about accessible assistance, enforcement of regulations, provision of emotional assistance, and promotion of collaborative efforts. The findings of this research demonstrate that some forms of content, such as narratives or testimonies from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 or medical experts, public awareness campaigns related to COVID-19, and interactive quizzes or activities, have a significant coefficient of determination. This discovery implies that the material above has generated substantial attention and involvement from the general public. Keywords: COVID-19, risk communication, social media, Indonesia, communication strategies.