Social media use in government health agencies: The COVID-19 impact

Abstract

Government communications typically use social media for federal agencies, national policies, and emergency cases. However, it is crucial to understand the use of these platforms within local government agencies. This investigation fills this gap and includes social media data during three months of the COVID-19 pandemic and compares it with previous trends. The research question that leads this research is: How has government social media use and communication behavior changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic? This research analyzes a study case applied to a local Mexican government agency named ISSEMyM. We analyze the data during the period between October 2017 and June 2020. Findings reveal a consistent use of Twitter and Facebook for communication by the ISSEMyM government agency. Also, it indicates an increase in engagement and communication flow over three years. We found that official local government communications remained unchanged during the whole period. We found no change in interaction, number of followers, and message structure during this period; however, the COVID-19 pandemic radically alters interactions, followers, and user engagement.