Government Communication Research Articles

A Plus for Peace: A Storytelling Approach to Reputational Security

ABSTRACT This study uses narrative theory to explore discursive content strategy in Switzerland’s UN Security Council campaign, A Plus for Peace. I dissect Swiss government communications to ascertain what strategic narratives and logics of campaigning were employed as the campaign sought to secure votes in the General Assembly and repair domestic perceptions of Switzerland’s reputational security abroad. Results of a critical discourse analysis suggest the Swiss government focused A Plus for Peace on a synthesis of system and identity narratives, contextualizing Switzerland’s national identity and relative position in international affairs. This highlighted its history as a peace mediator, modern partnerships with non-state actors, and how its reputation for neutrality would build credibility for the Security Council and trust in the UN. Focusing on consistency, identity, and genuineness lent an authenticity to Switzerland’s storytelling, increasing the value its country reputation would bring to the Security Council. This also resolved a national political crisis by restoring domestic support for the country’s foreign policy. This case highlights the narrative structure of organizational storytelling embodying national identity and authenticity in a two-level, intermestic context of government public relations.

Analisis Isi Konten Media Sosial Instagram Pemerintah Indonesia di Tingkat Kementerian dan Lembaga

Government institutions need social media channels as a public communication tool to disseminate policies, programs and public information. The government needs to use social media channels to reach a wider community amidst the low level of public trust in government communications and information channels. The aim of the research is to analyze the substance of the content, namely the type and nature of the content, what the audience needs and what the content message needs to communicate to the audience. This research also seeks the content structure related to how content is prioritized, arranged, formatted and displayed in the media. The objects analyzed are Instagram social media in 100 ministries and agencies. This research uses a descriptive quantitative approach that focuses on analyzing the use of Instagram social media by ministries and government agencies in Indonesia. This method aims to provide a comprehensive picture of government digital activities and to analyze the effectiveness of the substance and structure of the content implemented. Instagram was chosen as the main focus because it is the social media platform most widely used by ministries/agencies. The research results show that each agency has various needs with different strategies for using Instagram social media. The ministry has optimized Instagram social media more than the government agencies. Interestingly, the agency produces more content than the ministry, but it is still not optimal. Meanwhile, on average, ministerial agencies still prioritize personal figures and institutional agencies prioritize public information, although they also still predominantly prioritize leadership elements. The results of this research suggest that the government, especially the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, can create standards in managing social media, especially in producing the structure and substance of content so that it can more optimally convey information and interact with the audience.

Communication of Local Governments and the Population in Social Media: Regions of the Ural Federal District

Introduction. The relevance of the topic is determined by the need for a practical solution to the problem of communication assessment of local government bodies with the population in social media. The lack of an effective methodology for such an assessment and its results increases the importance of this work. The purpose of the article is to analyse the success of communication of the executive authorities of the municipal entities of the Ural Federal District with the population on the official pages of the social network “VKontakte” and to offer the success index. Materials and Methods. The authors used the database of official accounts of municipal, municipal district and municipal area administrations (n = 203) and heads of corresponding municipalities (n = 198) of the regions of the Urals Federal District in the social network “VKontakte”. The data were collected using the parsing tool Cerebro 3.0; the data were analyzed using both standard indicators of social network analysis and those proposed by the authors. The index method was used to summarize the data. This approach made it possible to systematize and aggregate heterogeneous information in order to compare the objects of analysis. Results. The authors have developed and tested on the materials of the regions of the Urals Federal District a methodology for calculating the index of success of communication between local governments and the population in the social network “VKontakte”. It has also been demonstrated that higher publication activity does not unequivocally lead to more successful communication outcomes. It is revealed that in most cases, municipalities with small populations are the most successful communicators. It is noted that subscriber engagement is higher in the accounts of heads of municipalities compared to the accounts of municipal administrations. Discussion and Conclusion. The authors’ proposed methodology for assessing the success of local government communications helps to identify the most successful practices, differentiate municipalities and regions. The index allows to go from evaluation of information openness to analysis of content published and recommendations on how to what content is needed to be more successful in communicating with the public. The results of the study will be useful for state and municipal employees involved in communication with the public.

Effective strategic management model of university student’s association in Nanchang city

This study investigates the strategic management of university student associations (USAs) in Nanchang City, focusing on seven key factors: government support, communication and feedback, resource utilization and allocation, event organization and scheduling, association management and leadership, management transparency and accountability mechanisms, and teamwork and atmosphere. Using a mixed-method approach, data were collected from 540 respondents across 36 universities through structured surveys and interviews. Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed that leadership effectiveness, transparent governance, resource optimization, and collaborative teamwork significantly enhance organizational performance and member engagement. The study proposes a comprehensive management model tailored to the context of Nanchang City, offering actionable strategies to address identified challenges. These findings contribute to the understanding of effective governance in higher education, providing practical insights for improving the operational efficiency and strategic alignment of student associations.

The evolution mechanism of social emotions during the Covid-19 pandemic: an analysis based on big data from Twitter and GDELT

This paper focuses on the evolutionary mechanism of social emotions, such as panic, anxiety, and depression, during the COVID-19 pandemic by using big data from the internet, including Twitter and GDELT, and by incorporating factors related to risk communication and risk response in risk governance. The main negative emotions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic include panic, anxiety, and depression. These negative emotions primarily erupted on a large scale during the initial phase of the first wave of the epidemic, whereas the fluctuations in negative emotions during subsequent resurgences were significantly smaller. This paper explains the evolution of panic and depression through analytical frameworks based on threat perception and coping efficacy, as well as social pressure and social support. The fluctuations in negative emotions around the world exhibit both similarities and diversities, which are closely related to the diversity of pandemic response models and cultural characteristics across different regions. The findings of this study have important implications for emergency management and the guidance of social mentality.

Exploring the Roles of Informational and Emotional Language in Online Government Interactions to Promote Citizens’ Continuous Participation

Effective government responses are crucial for fostering citizens’ online engagement, yet our understanding of the impacts of the language used in government responses remains limited. Based on Language Expectancy Theory, this study investigates how emotional and informational language on electronic government petition platforms (EGPPs) influence citizens’ willingness to engage continuously. The study employs a dual-method approach, combining user trajectory analysis and experimental data, to test the developed model and hypotheses. Findings reveal that both emotional and informational language significantly enhance citizen engagement, mediated by the alignment of government responses with citizen expectations. This research provides novel insights into digital governance, extends existing literature on e-participation, and offers practical recommendations for optimizing governmental communication strategies to foster greater public involvement.

The impact of organisational resilience and government communication on the well-being of tourism SME operators

The impact of organisational resilience and government communication on the well-being of tourism SME operators

Study of the Performance and Determinants of Initial Coin Offering

The aim of the paper is to study the relationship between the performanceand the determinants of initial coin offering. We use panel data and multiple regressionmodels to measure the impact of the determinants of the initial coin offering on its performance. Based on a sample of 3,498 ICOs issued between January 2019 and December2023, we find that the reputation of the founding team, the quality of the informationmaterials provided to stakeholders, the market liquidity, and regulatory complianceare closely related to ICO Performance. The implications of these findings are indeedsubstantial, as they have far-reaching effects on all participants in the ICO market. Forentrepreneurs, the results highlight that success in ICOs depends not only on innovativeideas but also on effective governance and transparent communication. This underscoresthe importance of factors beyond the core technology or concept in determining the success of ICOs and emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies thatencompass governance and communication practices.

Regional Government Public Relations Communication Model in Handling Hoax Information during the Pandemic

This research aims to describe the management of regional government public relations messages and communication media in handling information hoaxes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The widespread spread of COVID-19 pandemic hoax information has increasingly increased public panic and anxiety, especially in Kendari City. For this reason, the Kendari City Government, through the public relations department, has made various communication efforts to prevent the spread of hoax information. Research data was collected through interviews, observation, and documentation and analyzed using descriptive qualitative data analysis methods to provide a comprehensive picture of the object under study. Research informants were determined using purposive sampling. The results of the research show that the communication model implemented by Kendari City Government Public Relations in preventing COVID-19 pandemic hoaxes is carried out using a participatory communication model using all available communication channels as information media that can be easily accessed by the public. First, by carrying out a thorough identification of the information and hoax news that is being spread. Second, utilizing all types of communication channels available, such as outreach with Regional Apparatus Organizations (OPD) and the community, billboards, collaboration with online news media, partner information service institutions (Kominfo and the Pandemic task force), installing billboards and standing banners, and developing its official website.

How Do Immigration Policies Affect Voter Support for Low-Skilled Immigrants? Evidence from a Survey Experiment

Countries depend on both high- and low-skilled immigration to meet economic needs. But most voters prefer high-skilled immigrants, despite the fact that multiple economic sectors structurally depend on low-skilled immigrants. In this paper, we examine voter preferences toward low-skilled immigrants as one barrier to effective immigration policy, even in political regimes where immigration is the consequence of highly coordinated or “planned” policies. Specifically, we consider whether government communication around the benefits of low-skilled immigration can increase favorability of such policies. We are particularly interested in the ways in which government communicates immigration messages and whether the scope or concentration of the proposed benefits will move individual preferences. In an online survey experiment, we present Canadians ( N=2,023) with a policy brief that manipulates immigrant skill level (high vs. low), economic outcomes of migration (positive vs. mixed), and the geographic scope of benefits (concentrated vs. sociotropic). Employing two measures of policy support, we find some evidence that positive framing can increase overall support for low-skill migrants. We also find that manipulating framing around high-skilled workers has little effect on support for low-skill workers, even when that framing presents countervailing evidence as to the benefit of high-skilled labor. In sum, our findings suggest that elite level communication around the benefits of low-skill labor may have the ability to disrupt longstanding antipathy for low-skilled labor, even in regimes with longstanding support for high-skilled labor.

Decolonising Pedagogies: Unpacking Postcolonial Language Policies in Higher Education Systems of South Africa and Zimbabwe

Following their independence from colonial rule, most African nations adopted postcolonial language policies. As a result, some southern African countries were held accountable for implementing an exoglossic policy that favoured foreign colonial languages; in contrast, other independent states took an exclusive stance that gave preference to native tongues in their socio-economic sectors. This article therefore sought to evaluate the accomplishments made in the last three to four decades since South Africa and Zimbabwe became democratic republics. The article is timely, as we are drawing closer to the mid-target of the Decade of Mother Tongue 2022-2032 proclaimed by UNESCO, an organisation that is also the custodian of the fund for the cause. Cultural capital theory was chosen as the theoretical framework for this investigation. The theory revealed how language education policy frameworks and regulations affect the way indigenous languages are taught and learned in the curriculum of the two countries. The nature of this investigation was qualitative, as it used a multiple case study approach, employing two examples of language in education policies in Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively. A reportable narrative about accomplishments to date was woven together based on thematic web-like data analysis. Discourse analysis was done on national language policy frameworks and language education policies germane to the teaching and learning of indigenous languages. The results show that the milestones achieved included the inclusion of indigenous languages in the national constitutions of both countries, the design of language education policies and the elevation of indigenous languages to languages of teaching and learning in institutions of higher education and schools, languages of communication in governance, the establishment of language institutes, training teachers for language and making corpus planning and digitising indigenous languages. Based on these findings, the study therefore recommends similar studies in other contexts.

Government Communication and Social Cohesion: A Contradiction of Words in Action?

Government Communication and Social Cohesion: A Contradiction of Words in Action?

Sustainability tweeting triumphs during the COP events: analysing environmental, social and governance (ESG) communication on twitter

Sustainability tweeting triumphs during the COP events: analysing environmental, social and governance (ESG) communication on twitter

Navigating COVID-19: Non-Government Actors’ Communication Interventions in South Africa

During the COVID-19 outbreak, diverse groups and organisations in South Africa played an important communicative role which, alongside the government, collectively mitigated the spread of the disease. A previous study that we undertook to assess government communication revealed that there were organisations, groups, and actors that addressed gaps in official messaging. In this article, we explore the ways in which these actors recognised gaps in government communication and stepped in both to draw attention to these gaps and to devise timely solutions. Seven representatives of four groupings were interviewed. The groups and actors were identified because the researchers became aware of their non-governmental communications efforts. Their insights were transcribed and thematically analysed. The findings showed that although the government, through its agencies and presidential addresses to the nation, made concerted efforts to provide relevant information to the entire population, these actors were quick to identify the communications lacunae and stepped in where there was lack of reach. They identified inadequacies such as: non-optimal use of communication channels, neglected languages, a lack of scientifically based information, and a lack of context-driven information. The findings highlight the complexity of the challenge of talking to a nation when the country’s communications landscape is complex, multilingual, and multifaceted.1

Health and Social Care Inequalities During the First Wave of COVID-19 in Italy; Comment on "Experiences and Implications of the First Wave of the COVID-19 Emergency in Italy: A Social Science Perspective".

The impact of COVID-19 on the Italian population is well-known and has been deeply analysed under the clinical and epidemiological perspectives where the majority of the studies focused on the beginning of the first wave (March-May 2020). However, there is a need for analysing this complex phenomenon integrating the clinical side with the economic and social lens to better understand implications of a pandemic for populations. In their paper Masino and Enria focused the attention on four specific perspectives: health system reaction to the pandemic, inequalities in the work world, social care from the elderly point of view and the government communication challenges. In this commentary, I take these different perspectives trying to outline how they have been explored and analysed during these three years after their publication.

Intergovernmental networks and local government capacity for disaster management in North Sumatra

The objective of this study is to examine the impact of decentralization on disaster management in North Sumatra Province. Specifically, it will analyze the intergovernmental networks, local government resilience, leadership, and communication within disaster management agencies. The study used a hybrid research approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative methodologies to investigate the connections between these factors and their influence on disaster response and mitigation. The study encompassed 144 personnel from diverse government tiers in North Sumatra and performed a meta-analysis on the implementation of disaster management. Intergovernmental networks were discovered to enhance collaboration in disaster management by eliminating regulatory gaps and efficiently allocating logistics. Nevertheless, local governments have obstacles as a result of limited resources and inadequate expertise, notwithstanding the progress made in infrastructure technology. The F test results reveal that leadership and communication have a substantial impact on the performance of BPBD personnel. The meta-assessment classifies its impact as extraordinarily high, suggesting comprehensive evaluation and successful achievement of goals in disaster management planning. Efficient cooperation among relevant parties is essential in handling calamities in North Sumatra. The government, commercial sector, NGOs, universities, and society have unique responsibilities. To improve effectiveness, governments should encourage private sector involvement, while institutions can increase their research contributions.

Do Tax Incentives Moderate the Impact of Cash Flow and Sales Growth on Accounting Conservatism

This research investigates the relationships between cash flow, sales growth, tax incentives, and accounting conservatism. The study reveals that cash flow significantly influences accounting conservatism, indicating that firms with higher cash flows tend to adopt less conservative accounting practices to seize growth opportunities. Additionally, strong sales growth is associated with reduced accounting conservatism, as companies aim to meet market expectations and present favorable financial results. However, the interaction between cash flow and tax incentives, as well as sales growth and tax incentives, does not significantly affect accounting conservatism. These findings suggest that firms prioritize immediate financial performance over tax strategies when making accounting decisions. The research highlights the need to explore further industry-specific factors, long-term effects, and the practical implementation of tax incentives. By addressing these aspects, future studies can provide deeper insights into how financial reporting practices evolve and inform better corporate governance and stakeholder communication. Overall, this research contributes to understanding the dynamics influencing accounting conservatism in a changing economic landscape

Developing a trustworthy national health data space: public needs and policy implications

Abstract Background The ongoing development of a national health data space in Switzerland presents an opportunity to transform health delivery and care by enabling large-scale secondary health research. Central to this development is the Health2030 strategy, which calls for the establishment of public trust in the reliability and security of data collection, storage, and exchange. Methods We conducted four focus groups across the German, French and Italian-speaking regions of Switzerland to inform the development of the Swiss health data space that fosters public trust. To inform Swiss policy, we held a panel discussion with patient experts and healthcare professionals to translate the focus group findings into governance and public communication requirements. We synthesized our findings using a thematic analysis approach and proposed a guiding health policy strategy. Results Citizens perceive the health data space as trustworthy conditional on the delivery of its promised higher levels of transparency, security, and lower risk compared to other data sharing initiatives. To ensure its trustworthiness, citizens call for the provision of value-based consent to control data access based on the actors involved and research purposes, alongside implementing accountability measures for data misuse. Governance framework requirements entail establishing an advisory group for the health data space with sufficient representation of the Swiss population, including members of the public, patient advisory groups, and researchers. Public communication requirements call for ongoing monitoring of public opinion on health data space, alongside establishing public engagement initiatives, such as public fora, to inform ongoing progress. Conclusions Policy efforts should prioritize the meaningful involvement of relevant stakeholders throughout all stages of the health data space development to foster trust. Central to these efforts is balancing public expectations with their practical implementation. Key messages • For the health data space to be trustworthy, citizens require transparency on their data use and the security measures taken, value-based consent for data access, and accountability measures. • Diverse representation in governance and continuous public involvement are key policy measures to build public trust in the development of national health data spaces.

Social Media as a Village Government Communication Channel in Improving Public Services to the Community in Minahasa Regency

Public service issues are still often the main topic in society, starting from the lack of clear information and slow service that occurs in government in various cases, both related to information, administration and implementation of development in various fields, to the lack of resources that are able to provide the best service to the community. The current era of information technology, new media, which includes social media, is certainly one of the right solutions in overcoming communication and information problems for the government, but the problem is whether social media has been used optimally in carrying out public service duties by the government, especially the government in the village. Along with the many complaints from the public regarding government services, even though communication and information technology is already present in the midst of society and the government. This is the basis of this study, to be studied and studied in more depth, using a qualitative research approach, related to how social media becomes a communication channel for village governments in improving public services. Village governments in Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi Province have not optimally used social media as an information channel in an effort to improve public services. This is evidenced by the lack of official social media from the village government as a media/information channel in supporting public services. Not all village governments have the human resource capabilities that can manage and operate social media well, actively and intensively in providing information to the public regarding programs, policies, and government regulations. Most village governments in Minahasa Regency do not yet have official social media as a medium/channel of information to the public. There are still many village government officials who use their personal social media for the needs of conveying information to the public, even then only when necessary. Obstacles to the Village Government in utilizing social media to improve public services include limited human resources, technological infrastructure, and cultural constraints, these factors affect the effectiveness of communication through social media.

Strategi Komunikasi Partisipatif Pemerintahan Desa Dalam Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Perbatasan RI-PNG

Mosso is a village located in between Indonesia - Papua New Guinea border. It is often known for its difficulty. In reaching government's efforts to empower the community through the use of village funds can make a positive contribution to the progress of the Mosso Village community. So it is necessary to develop communication strategy to empower the community by utilizing of village fund allocation that can increase community participation. The theory used in studying the results of this research is the development communication theory. The methods used in this study are descriptive qualitative research and data analysis techniques using Miles and Huberman models, namely data collection, data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion drawing/verifying (verification). The results of this study show that the village government's communication strategy has not been maximized in increasing community participation through utilizing empowerment programs, this is marked by 1). The communication that has occurred so far has been more monologic/directive in nature, communication has not led to a form of dialogue with the community, 2). The weak process of supporting the empowerment program consistently by the village government, starting from the planning, implementation, to evaluation stages.