Public Relations Departments and their Use of Social Media During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the methods used by public relations departments on social media during the coronavirus pandemic and explain the type of persuasive methods and media language used in the official account of the Sudanese Ministry of Health on Facebook and the most common public relations strategies that were used during the pandemic. The study analysed the Facebook account by preparing a content analysis form for the period from 01/02/2021 to 30/04/2021. The study concluded that 47% of the publications were written in standard Arabic, 56% were concerned with publishing the epidemiological situation and 35% followed logical persuasion methods by focusing on statistics and numbers. The study found that there is a need to develop a comprehensive national media strategy that deals with health crises professionally and controls the speed of information transmission through various media, while working to implement joint media activities between the Ministry of Health and media institutions. Moreover, the media message of public relations should be diverse and consider the different cultures and habits of social media users through communication activities, such as theatres and seminars, to reinforce the media message.