Leveraging crisis communication via Facebook: COVID-19 lessons from Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa

Lebohang Edward Matlaletsa; Rachel Moyo

doi:10.21107/sml.v8i2.31143

Leveraging crisis communication via Facebook: COVID-19 lessons from Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality in South Africa

Lebohang Edward Matlaletsa, Rachel Moyo

Abstract

Despite the persistent challenges posed by the rapid spread of fake news and misinformation, social media continues to serve as a valuable platform for the speedy delivery of messages, particularly during times of crisis. This study investigated how the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MMM) in South Africa employed Facebook as a strategic communication tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, it examined the extent to which social media can serve as a bridge between theoretical approaches to crisis communication and their practical application in the context of a developing economy. A qualitative, empirical research design was adopted, involving the analysis of 45 Facebook posts published by MMM between March 2020 and June 2022. Thematic content analysis was undertaken, drawing on Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT), Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC), Dialogic Communication Theory, and the Public Trust and Responsiveness Framework. Findings reveal that MMM made use of Facebook to provide health-related updates, enforce COVID-19 regulations, and encourage preventive behavior. However, the effectiveness of these efforts was undermined by slow institutional responses and a prevailing sense of public mistrust linked to historical service delivery shortcomings. The study underscores the importance of transparency, consistency, responsiveness, and two-way dialogue in fostering trust, and offers both theoretical and practical insights for crisis communicators and planners at the local government level.

Keywords

crisis communication; local-government; Facebook; COVID-19

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.21107/sml.v8i2.31143

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