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Primožič L, Dolezal F, Prislan R, Kutnar A. What type of social media posts about sustainable construction is better for audience engagement? OPEN RESEARCH EUROPE 2024; 4:24. [PMID: 39055382 PMCID: PMC11269976 DOI: 10.12688/openreseurope.17079.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Background In an effort to move to a sustainable society, new concepts and findings related to sustainable construction are being developed. With ambition to transfer newly developed knowledge to society, various communication paths are being used. In this study we investigated what kind of messages shared on institutional social media channels (Facebook, Twitter (now renamed to X), and LinkedIn) about sustainable construction create more audience engagement. Methods The study consisted of two phases of weekly social media posts. In each phase, 15 posts were published on the same day and time, while engagement was monitored. Three different types of posts were created, that were sequential cycling each week. Type 1 was written informative content related to research activities; type 2 was image content related to the research activities and equipment, with a short text caption of the image; and type 3 was image content with people - scientists working on research activities with a short text caption of the image. Results Poisson regression analysis revealed that type 3 posts result in the most audience engagement on LinkedIn, suggesting that using images of people in combination with short text captions is the most effective way to engage social media audiences. These findings can help organizations to use social media to promote sustainable construction and other sustainability-related research. The engagement was lower on Facebook and Twitter (X). Conclusions As the science is aiming to be closer to the society, these findings deliver an important insight of science communication through the social media. Although the study delivered several lessons learnt related to science communication through social media studies, it provides an important bases for further studies. Conclusions can support research organizations in improving their science communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Primožič
- InnoRenew CoE, Koper, Slovenia
- University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Franz Dolezal
- IBO – Austrian Institute for Building and Ecology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rok Prislan
- InnoRenew CoE, Koper, Slovenia
- University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
| | - Andreja Kutnar
- InnoRenew CoE, Koper, Slovenia
- University of Primorska, Koper, Slovenia
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Zhang Q, Niu T, Yang J, Geng X, Lin Y. A study on the emotional and attitudinal behaviors of social media users under the sudden reopening policy of the Chinese government. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1185928. [PMID: 37601226 PMCID: PMC10436617 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1185928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government has implemented a series of strict prevention and control policies to prevent the spread of the virus. Recently, the Chinese government suddenly changed its approach and lifted all prevention and control measures. This sudden change in policy is expected to lead to a widespread outbreak of COVID-19 in China, and the public and local governments are not adequately prepared for the unknown impact on society. The change in the "emergency" prevention and control policy provides a unique research perspective for this study. Methods The purpose of this study is to analyze the public's attitudes and emotional responses to COVID-19 under the sudden opening policy, identify the key factors that contribute to these attitudes and emotions, and propose solutions. In response to this sudden situation, we conducted data mining on topics and discussions related to the opening of the epidemic on Sina Weibo, collecting 125,686 interactive comments. We used artificial intelligence technology to analyze the attitudes and emotions reflected in each data point, identify the key factors that contribute to these attitudes and emotions, explore the underlying reasons, and find corresponding solutions. Results The results of the study show that in the face of the sudden release of the epidemic, the public mostly exhibited negative emotions and behaviors, with many people experiencing anxiety and panic. However, the gradual resumption of daily life and work has also led some people to exhibit positive attitudes. Conclusion The significance of this study is to help the government and institutions understand the impact of policy implementation on users, and to enable them to adjust policies in a timely manner to respond to potential social risks. The government, emergency departments, and the public can all prepare for similar situations based on the conclusions of this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaohe Zhang
- Academy of Fine Arts, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China
| | - Tianyue Niu
- Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhua Yang
- College of Humanities, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Yinhuan Lin
- Xiamen Academy of Arts and Design, Fuzhou University, Xiamen, China
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The role played by government communication on the level of public fear in social media: An investigation into the Covid-19 crisis in Italy. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2023; 40:101798. [PMID: 36618765 PMCID: PMC9805896 DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2022.101798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
In situations of crisis, governments must acknowledge that communication is a major weapon in their armoury, and can be used to convince the public to accept sometimes stringent measures, while preventing a worsening of the situation by curbing any spread of panic. Theoretically, during a pandemic, fear can be contained at reasonable levels by governments counterbalancing uncertainty with information. However, there is no empirical evidence on how the flow of information during a crisis can influence emotional states among the population. In this process, social media appears to be a valuable tool for governments to observe emotional response in a population. In the light of this and within the context of the Italian government's social media campaign #iorestoacasa ('I'm staying at home') launched during the Covid-19 crisis, the current study utilises text analytics to explore the relationship between government and press communication, and the level of fear expressed by citizens through more than 200 thousand #iorestoacasa tweets. The results highlight how the content of the messages evolved in the early part of the outbreak and during the social media campaign. They suggest that in Italy the discussion regarding the efforts made by the European Council to find common solutions for dealing with the emergency has prompted a positive influence on public mood. Conversely, messages about people's individual vulnerability and the associated sense of an external locus of control correlated positively with levels of fear. This study opens new ways to support government communication during a crisis by monitoring public emotional response through social media.
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Yavetz G, Aharony N. Information under lockdown: A content analysis of government communication strategies on Facebook during the COVID-19 outbreak. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15562. [PMID: 37089394 PMCID: PMC10111856 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate how central government agencies used social media to communicate and disseminate information to the public during the Coronavirus outbreak. In addition, this study seeks to examine the characteristics of the messages, content, and engagement rates of the information which has been published by the four central government bodies responsible for the management of the emerging crisis in Israel. This article is based on content analysis to examine the work of four main government ministries on Facebook (Ministry of Health, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance) throughout the first six months of the crisis from February to July 2020. Findings indicate that The Ministry of Health's posts yielded the highest engagement rates compared to the rest of the ministries. Also, we categorized the posts into four main categories: Policy, Advocacy & COVID-19 additional information, Restrictions, Guidelines & Recommendations. In terms of Sentiment analysis, posts containing restrictions have created the highest emotional reactions (positive and negative). Research findings can be deduced regarding modes of distribution in terms of messages, publication dates, and types of content to improve users' responses in terms of audience engagement and sentiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Yavetz
- Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
| | - Noa Aharony
- Department of Information Science, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
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5
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Wu HC, Manoharan AP. Three Cities on YouTube. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE 2023. [DOI: 10.4018/ijpada.318126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Local governments are enhancing their governance through various information communication technologies (ICTs). This article presents an exploratory case study of three municipalities within the United States, examining how each applies YouTube for communication. Using content analysis and selected statistical tests of mean difference, the authors analyzed the videos uploaded between January 2020 to August 2020. The three municipalities used YouTube to document policymaking, publicize programs and services, update critical information during times of crises, and, in some cases, create unique brand images. The average number of views per video were similar across the three YouTube channels. However, one of the municipalities received a statistically significant number of average likes per video, which spotlights its positive brand image. In conclusion, the authors suggest directions for future research and recommend practices for social media adaptation in government.
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Espinosa L, Altunina O, Salathé M. Timeliness of online COVID-19 reports from official sources. Front Public Health 2023; 10:1027812. [PMID: 36761324 PMCID: PMC9902361 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1027812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Making epidemiological indicators for COVID-19 publicly available through websites and social media can support public health experts in the near-real-time monitoring of the situation worldwide, and in the establishment of rapid response and public health measures to reduce the consequences of the pandemic. Little is known, however, about the timeliness of such sources. Here, we assess the timeliness of official public COVID-19 sources for the WHO regions of Europe and Africa. Methods We monitored official websites and social media accounts for updates and calculated the time difference between daily updates on COVID-19 cases. We covered a time period of 52 days and a geographic range of 62 countries, 28 from the WHO African region and 34 from the WHO European region. Results The most prevalent categories were social media updates only (no website reporting) in the WHO African region (32.7% of the 1,092 entries), and updates in both social media and websites in the WHO European region (51.9% of the 884 entries for EU/EEA countries, and 73.3% of the 884 entries for non-EU/EEA countries), showing an overall clear tendency in using social media as an official source to report on COVID-19 indicators. We further show that the time difference for each source group and geographical region were statistically significant in all WHO regions, indicating a tendency to focus on one of the two sources instead of using both as complementary sources. Discussion Public health communication via social media platforms has numerous benefits, but it is worthwhile to do it in combination with other, more traditional means of communication, such as websites or offline communication.
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Ravenda D, Valencia-Silva MM, Argiles-Bosch JM, García-Blandón J. The strategic usage of Facebook by local governments: A structural topic modelling analysis. INFORMATION & MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.im.2022.103704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Studying topic engagement and synergy among candidates for 2020 US Elections. SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS AND MINING 2022; 12:136. [PMID: 36118938 PMCID: PMC9464427 DOI: 10.1007/s13278-022-00959-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
This article provides a comprehensive summary of how candidates running in the 2020 US Presidential Elections used Twitter to communicate with the public. More specifically, it aims to uncover elements linked to public engagement and internal cooperation (in terms of content and stance similarity among the candidates from the same political front, and with respect to the official Twitter accounts of their political parties). Our main subjects are the Presidential and Vice-Presidential candidates who contested for the 2020 US Elections from the two major political fronts—Republicans and Democrats. Their tweets were evaluated for social reach, content similarity and stance similarity on 22 topics. According to the findings, Joe Biden had the highest engagement and impact (user impact: 177.08k, normalized to 0.99), followed by Donald Trump (user impact: 164.19k, normalized to 0.92). The Democrats depicted a clearer understanding of their audience, portraying an essential link between public participation, internal cooperation and the electoral campaign. The results also demonstrate that specific topics (like US Elections, and Inauguration Ceremony) were more engaging than others (Trump Healthcare Plan, and The Supreme Court Appointments). This study adds to the existing work on using social media platforms for electoral campaigns and can be effectively utilized by contesting candidates.
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Wu L, Li J, Qi J, Shi N, Zhu H. How to Promote Public Engagement and Enhance Sentiment Through Government Social Media During the COVID-19 Crisis. J ORGAN END USER COM 2022. [DOI: 10.4018/joeuc.308819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In the period of public health crisis, effective and efficient transmission of crisis information to the public through social media is an important support for achieving social stability and orderly online public engagement. From the perspective of public value management, this study systematically investigated how local government agencies in China used social media to promote public engagement and raise public sentiment during the COVID-19 crisis. Using data captured from the “Wuhan Release” Sina Weibo account, the authors studied the factors that influence public engagement, including information sources, language styles, and media types. Further, it explores the influence of the interactive effects of public value with information sources, language styles, and media types on public engagement and public sentiment. The results show that the consistency of government response content and public value promotes public engagement and raises public sentiment. This research provides enlightenment and ideas for cognition, understanding and governance of public opinion in practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianren Wu
- Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, China
| | | | - Jiayin Qi
- Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, China
| | - Nan Shi
- Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, China
| | - Hongmiao Zhu
- Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, China
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Li K, Zhou C, Luo XR, Benitez J, Liao Q. Impact of information timeliness and richness on public engagement on social media during COVID-19 pandemic: An empirical investigation based on NLP and machine learning. DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS 2022; 162:113752. [PMID: 35185227 PMCID: PMC8839801 DOI: 10.1016/j.dss.2022.113752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates how information timeliness and richness affect public engagement using text data from China's largest social media platform during times of the COVID-19 pandemic. We utilize a similarity calculation method based on natural language processing (NLP) and text mining to evaluate three dimensions of information timeliness: retrospectiveness, immediateness, and prospectiveness. Public engagement is divided into breadth and depth. The empirical results show that information retrospectiveness is negatively associated with public engagement breadth but positively with depth. Both information immediateness and prospectiveness improved the breadth and depth of public engagement. Interestingly, information richness has a positive moderating effect on the relationships between information retrospectiveness, prospectiveness, and public engagement breadth but no significant effects on immediateness; meanwhile, it has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between retrospectiveness and depth but a positive effect on immediateness, prospectiveness. In the extension analysis, we constructed a supervised NLP model to identify and classify health emergency-related information (epidemic prevention and help-seeking) automatically. We find that public engagement differs in the two emergency-related information categories. The findings can promote a more responsive public health strategy that magnifies the transfer speed for critical information and mitigates the negative impacts of information uncertainty or false information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Li
- Nankai University Business School, Tianjin, China
| | - Cheng Zhou
- Nankai University Business School, Tianjin, China
| | | | | | - Qinyu Liao
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Brownsville, USA
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Baxi MK, Philip J, Mago V. Resilience of political leaders and healthcare organizations during COVID-19. PeerJ Comput Sci 2022; 8:e1121. [PMID: 36262139 PMCID: PMC9575867 DOI: 10.7717/peerj-cs.1121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study assesses the online societal association of leaders and healthcare organizations from the top-10 COVID-19 resilient nations through public engagement, sentiment strength, and inclusivity and diversity strength. After analyzing 173,071 Tweets authored by the leaders and health organizations, our findings indicate that United Arab Emirate's Prime Minister had the highest online societal association (normalized online societal association: 1.000) followed by the leaders of Canada and Turkey (normalized online societal association: 0.068 and 0.033, respectively); and among the healthcare organizations, the Public Health Agency of Canada was the most impactful (normalized online societal association: 1.000) followed by the healthcare agencies of Turkey and Spain (normalized online societal association: 0.632 and 0.094 respectively). In comparison to healthcare organizations, the leaders displayed a strong awareness of individual factors and generalized their Tweets to a broader audience. The findings also suggest that users prefer accessing social media platforms for information during health emergencies and that leaders and healthcare institutions should realize the potential to use them effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manmeet Kaur Baxi
- Department of Computer Science, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joshua Philip
- Superior Collegiate and Vocational Institute, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vijay Mago
- Department of Computer Science, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Leveraging multidimensional features for policy opinion sentiment prediction. Inf Sci (N Y) 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ins.2022.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Stone JA, Flanders KJ, Can SH. Strategic communication? Measurement and evaluation of Twitter use among municipal governments. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2022.101755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Zhang W, Yuan H, Zhu C, Chen Q, Evans R. Does Citizen Engagement With Government Social Media Accounts Differ During the Different Stages of Public Health Crises? An Empirical Examination of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Public Health 2022; 10:807459. [PMID: 35774579 PMCID: PMC9237959 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.807459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic has created one of the greatest challenges to humankind, developing long-lasting socio-economic impacts on our health and wellbeing, employment, and global economy. Citizen engagement with government social media accounts has proven crucial for the effective communication and management of public health crisis. Although much research has explored the societal impact of the pandemic, extant literature has failed to create a systematic and dynamic model that examines the formation mechanism of citizen engagement with government social media accounts at the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study fills this gap by employing the Heuristic-Systematic Model and investigating the effects of the heuristic clues including social media capital, information richness, language features, dialogic loop, and the systematic clue including content types, on citizen engagement with government social media across three different stages of the pandemic, employing the moderating role of emotional valence. Methods The proposed model is validated by scraping 16,710 posts from 22 provincial and municipal government micro-blog accounts in the Hubei province, China. Results Results show that the positive effects of social media capital on citizen engagement were observed at all stages. However, the effects of information richness, language features, dialogic loop, and content types, and the moderating effect of emotional valence, varied across the different pandemic development stages. Conclusions The findings provide suggestions for the further effective use of government social media, and better cope with crises. Government agencies should pay attention to the content and form of information shared, using technical means to analyze the information needs of citizens at different stages of public health emergencies, understanding the content most concerned by citizens, and formulating the content type of posts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhang
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Yuan
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chengyan Zhu
- School of Political Science and Public Administration, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Qiang Chen
- School of Journalism and New Media, Xi'an JiaoTong University, Xi'an, China
- *Correspondence: Qiang Chen
| | - Richard Evans
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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Paul S, Das S. Investigating information dissemination and citizen engagement through government social media during the COVID-19 crisis. ONLINE INFORMATION REVIEW 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/oir-06-2021-0307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThis study explores how effectively the Indian government utilized social media to communicate emergency information and promote citizen engagement and awareness during the first wave of COVID-19 crisis.Design/methodology/approachThis research investigates the tweets scraped from the official Twitter handle “CovidnewsbyMIB” of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Government of India; the authors unearthed patterns in the communications between the government and its citizens by adopting various social media analysis techniques. Further, the authors also tried to examine the influence of media richness and dialogic loop on citizen engagement through government social media (CEGSM) using multivariate analysis method.FindingsThe results highlighted clusters of words/terms present in the tweets related to COVID-19 combating strategies, guidelines, and updates. The authors also found that media richness has a significant positive relationship with CEGSM, but dialogic loop has an insignificant relationship with CEGSM.Originality/valueThis study provides suggestions to government agencies about ways to improve CEGSM by enhancing media richness and dialogic loop elements such as surveys, polls, and responses in the crisis communication.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-06-2021-0307.
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van der Giessen M, Bayerl PS. Designing for successful online engagement: Understanding technological frames of citizen and police users of community policing platforms. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2022.101711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Celik I, Dindar M, Muukkonen H. #NotHolidayButDistance Education: a study on social media use for K-12 education during the COVID-19 pandemic. INFORMATION AND LEARNING SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/ils-07-2021-0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore Twitter posts of Turkish government agencies and the public under a specific hashtag, #NotHolidayButDistanceEducation, specifically related to online distance education during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a thematic analysis on 22,547 original tweets posted by 6,970 users during the first month of online distance education in Turkish K-12 schools. Based on like and retweet counts, the study further explored the extent of stakeholders’ engagement with the observed themes.
Findings
The findings showed that government agencies and citizens used Twitter to provide technical and psychological support, appreciate and motivate stakeholders, demonstrate sample distance education activities, share information and offer suggestions about the ongoing online distance education. It was also observed that the hashtag has been used for expressing negative views about online distance education and for political purposes. A positive relationship was found between social media engagement and providing technical support or sharing information for online distance education.
Practical implications
This study highlights the role of social media in providing practical and emotional support to education stakeholders in times of crisis. Thus, governments can use social media to provide evidence-based psychological and physical health support to their citizens during a pandemic. Social media can serve to improve education practices in schools through the interactions between the public and policymakers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study can be considered unique because it demonstrates the civic use of social media for educational crisis management. This study highlights the influence of social media in educational policy and practice development in the contemporary era.
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Yao L, Ngai CSB. Engaging social media users with attitudinal messages during health crisis communication. LINGUA. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF GENERAL LINGUISTICS. REVUE INTERNATIONALE DE LINGUISTIQUE GENERALE 2022; 268:103199. [PMID: 34720188 PMCID: PMC8548932 DOI: 10.1016/j.lingua.2021.103199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
To cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, various policy measures accompanied by health crisis communication were adopted in China to engage publics. In this study, we investigated how People's Daily communicated COVID-19 messages on Weibo. Drawing on the Appraisal Framework, we developed a three-stage mixed method approach to study 400 COVID-19 posts to identify the attitude resources employed and their association with public engagement. We found that attitudinal posts were more engaging than non-attitudinal posts. Judgment, both positive and negative, was positively associated with public engagement, whereas the use of positive Affect and Appreciation could be ineffective. These findings contribute to the understanding of how public engagement on social media can be enhanced through the use of attitudinal messages in health emergencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Yao
- Faculty of Humanities, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cindy Sing Bik Ngai
- Department of Chinese & Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
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20
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Calhan HS, Karkin N, Hasiloglu SB, Ozgul ME. The reflection of public values in twitter use of metropolitan municipalities: A content analysis employing the analytic hierarchy process. INFORMATION POLITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3233/ip-210327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The reflection of public values (PVs) could be monitored through some indicators, like institutional social media tools. The measurement of how PVs are reflected over local social media accounts is of great importance. Studies in the relevant literature are mainly focusing on the benefits of social media presence, drivers, or barriers or attitudes and expectations on social media presence. We, in this study, focus on the evaluation of whether and how selected PVs are reflected through social media accounts of metropolitan municipalities (MMs) in Turkey. By taking participation, collaboration, and transparency as the main PVs, we have formed an evaluation metric composed of five sub-criteria for each determinant. With the help of seven public administration experts holding a Ph.D. degree to form an expert graded scheme by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), we have employed a content analysis over Twitter accounts of 30 Turkish MMs using this expert graded scheme. We have found that Turkish MMs were found not to grasp the valuation of the selected PVs since most seem to fail to reflect them over their social media accounts to the full extent possible. Moreover, many Turkish MMs seem to have violated privacy and personal data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huseyin Serhan Calhan
- Department of Office Services and Secretariat, Dr. Hasan Unal Vocational School at Demre, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkiye
| | - Naci Karkin
- Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkiye
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21
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Guidelines for Citizen Engagement and the Co-Creation of Nature-Based Solutions: Living Knowledge in the URBiNAT Project. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132313378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Participation and citizen engagement are fundamental elements in urban regeneration and in the deployment of nature-based solutions (NBS) to advance sustainable urban development. Various limitations inherent to participatory processes concerning NBS for inclusive urban regeneration have been addressed, and lessons have been learnt. This paper investigates participation and urban regeneration and focuses on the development of guidelines for citizen engagement and the co-creation of NBS in the H2020 URBiNAT project. The methodology first involves the collection of scientific and practical input on citizen engagement from a variety of stakeholders, such as researchers and practitioners, to constitute a corpus of qualitative data. This input is then systematized into guideline categories and serves as the basis for a deeper analysis with researchers, experts, and practitioners, both inside and outside URBiNAT, and in dialogue with other cases of participatory NBS implementation. The results highlight an ‘ecology of knowledges’ based on a ‘living’ framework, which aims to address the specific needs of various segments of citizens and to match citizen engagement to the participatory cultures of cities. Implications and further research are also discussed, with a special focus on the implementation of NBS. The conclusions broaden the research context to include the refinement of the NBS approach, with participation being seen as both a means and an end.
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Wang G, Chen Q, Xie S. Determining the types of internet plus government platform usage behaviour in selected cities of China. ELECTRONIC LIBRARY 2021. [DOI: 10.1108/el-06-2021-0117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
Although internet plus government platforms (IPGPs) are being increasingly used by citizens around the world, questions emerge regarding the public adoption, utilization and use of IPGPs. This study aims to explore the determinants of citizens’ differentiated IPGPs usage behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
An analytical framework has been built upon the rational choice theory and the cultural dimension theory. The present study draws on a survey of 866 citizens from Guangzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu.
Findings
The empirical findings suggest that the perceived functional benefits and personalization features both significantly affect citizens’ informational, service and participatory uses of IPGPs, to varying degrees. Furthermore, long-term orientation plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceived functional benefits and the service use of IPGPs.
Originality/value
The findings demonstrate that the public’s rational choice of a new digitalized service channel depends on to what extent and to what degree the absolute and relative benefits they consider important compare to other possible channels. Users also consider how the new service channel satisfies their personalized demands of digitalized services. Also, users’ long-term orientation can affect their rational choices by adjusting the perceived functional benefits of the channel when that channel is used for service transactions.
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Padeiro M, Bueno-Larraz B, Freitas Â. Local governments' use of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic: The case of Portugal. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2021; 38:101620. [PMID: 34667370 PMCID: PMC8517969 DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2021.101620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
While the use of social media by local governments has gained relevance in recent years, crises are critical situations that reinforce the need to reach citizens to disclose information, demonstrate the government's commitment, and increase the citizens' level of preparedness and awareness of resources. This paper examines the factors that influenced local governments' e-disclosure during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this objective, we systematically tracked every post published by the official Facebook page of 304 Portuguese municipalities between March 2 and July 5, 2020. The findings show that financial autonomy is the main predictor of e-disclosure, factors varied on the different phases of the pandemic's first wave, and sociodemographic factors became more prevalent as explanatory factors when the crisis worsened. Our study may help increase the level of preparedness during possible future crises. In particular, establishing communication strategies for prolonged public health crises, making financial resources available for the accomplishment of such strategies, and reducing the digital divide can contribute to more effective disclosure. Future research should explore the dynamics of disclosure during public health crises. This study also highlights the need to incorporate time in research that focuses on the determinants of e-disclosure that could also be tested in normal times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Padeiro
- Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Coimbra, Portugal
| | | | - Ângela Freitas
- Centre of Studies in Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Coimbra, Spain
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Wu Y, Xiao H, Yang F. Government information disclosure and citizen coproduction during COVID-19 in China. GOVERNANCE (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2021; 35:GOVE12645. [PMID: 34898859 PMCID: PMC8653258 DOI: 10.1111/gove.12645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
While information campaigns have been widely recognized as a pillar of public health crisis management and heightened by the current COVID-19 pandemic, an insufficient number of studies have investigated the impact of information disclosure on influencing citizen cooperation crucial for emergency management. Focusing on generic information disclosure practices during the recovery period from January 19, 2020, to February 29, 2020, in China and by employing a difference-in-difference method, this study finds that information disclosure significantly enhanced citizen coproduction as measured by aggregated search queries of COVID-19-related information, and earlier disclosure yielded greater effect more quickly. Moreover, government capacity and citizens' trust in government at the local level significantly moderate the positive impact of information disclosure. This study uncovers the novel relationship between information disclosure and citizen coproduction during emergencies in the Chinese context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiping Wu
- School of Public Economics and AdministrationShanghai University of Finance and EconomicsShanghaiChina
| | - Hanyu Xiao
- Department of Asian and Policy StudiesThe Education University of Hong KongHKSARChina
| | - Fang Yang
- School of Public Economics and AdministrationShanghai University of Finance and EconomicsShanghaiChina
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Alhassan FM, AlDossary SA. The Saudi Ministry of Health's Twitter Communication Strategies and Public Engagement During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Content Analysis Study. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2021; 7:e27942. [PMID: 34117860 PMCID: PMC8276783 DOI: 10.2196/27942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background During a public health crisis such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, governments and health authorities need quick and accurate methods of communicating with the public. While social media can serve as a useful tool for effective communication during disease outbreaks, few studies have elucidated how these platforms are used by the Ministry of Health (MOH) during disease outbreaks in Saudi Arabia. Objective Guided by the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication model, this study aimed to explore the MOH’s use of Twitter and the public’s engagement during different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Methods Tweets and corresponding likes and retweets were extracted from the official Twitter account of the MOH in Saudi Arabia for the period of January 1 through August 31, 2020. Tweets related to COVID-19 were identified; subsequently, content analysis was performed, in which tweets were coded for the following message types: risk messages, warnings, preparations, uncertainty reduction, efficacy, reassurance, and digital health responses. Public engagement was measured by examining the numbers of likes and retweets. The association between outbreak stages and types of messages was assessed, as well as the effect of these messages on public engagement. Results The MOH posted a total of 1393 original tweets during the study period. Of the total tweets, 1293 (92.82%) were related to COVID-19, and 1217 were ultimately included in the analysis. The MOH posted the majority of its tweets (65.89%) during the initial stage of the outbreak. Accordingly, the public showed the highest level of engagement (as indicated by numbers of likes and retweets) during the initial stage. The types of messages sent by the MOH significantly differed across outbreak stages, with messages related to uncertainty reduction, reassurance, and efficacy being prevalent among all stages. Tweet content, media type, and crisis stage influenced the level of public engagement. Engagement was negatively associated with the inclusion of hyperlinks and multimedia files, while higher level of public engagement was associated with the use of hashtags. Tweets related to warnings, uncertainty reduction, and reassurance received high levels of public engagement. Conclusions This study provides insights into the Saudi MOH’s communication strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our results have implications for researchers, governments, health organizations, and practitioners with regard to their communication practices during outbreaks. To increase public engagement, governments and health authorities should consider the public’s need for information. This, in turn, could raise public awareness regarding disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatimah Mohammed Alhassan
- Department of Health Informatics, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sharifah Abdullah AlDossary
- Department of Health Informatics, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Perea D, Bonsón E, Bednárová M. Citizen reactions to municipalities’ Instagram communication. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2021.101579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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Simonofski A, Fink J, Burnay C. Supporting policy-making with social media and e-participation platforms data: A policy analytics framework. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2021.101590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Social media for government information dissemination: content, characteristics and civic engagement. ASLIB J INFORM MANAG 2021. [DOI: 10.1108/ajim-07-2020-0201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the information distributed on social media by government ministries. In addition, this study seeks to categorize and identify the characteristics of the highest engaging government social media posts.Design/methodology/approachThis article is based on content analysis to examine the work of Israeli government ministries on Facebook. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze 6,292 posts posted over a six-month period, and a sample of 230 of the most popular posts was analyzed qualitatively.FindingsFindings indicate that government ministries primarily direct and link to internal Facebook pages, with few, if any, referrals to official government websites. In addition, the types of content that generate the highest levels of engagement are classified as operations and events or symbolic acts (e.g. greetings or condolences) and are containing visual content as photos or video clips.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on the topic in several ways. First, it presents findings from a cross-national study of government authorities and organizations that operate and serve diverse populations in a multicultural country. Second, this study presents a novel examination of information strategies by government organizations with focusing on the characteristics of links, media types, content and posting frequency.
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Abstract
In urban transformation, no solution works without citizen support. With increasing numbers of building technologies and large-scale urban development on its way across cities, it has become vital to keep citizens informed, engaged, and content with the new changes. This paper looks at citizen engagement in Espoo (Finland) and Leipzig (Germany), and it determines whether the cities are ready for developing and implementing positive energy districts (PEDs). The authors studied the cities’ operations and current citizen engagement methods to understand how the efforts could be combined and improved. The analysis indicated that the city of Espoo already has a well-established system that continuously promotes citizen engagement at various levels, and combining the available infrastructure with company experts on citizen participation will allow Espoo to seamlessly transition towards PEDs in the near future. The city of Leipzig has a rich experience due to several national projects and participation in an earlier European project, which enabled the city to set clearer goals for the future and modify existing citizen methods. As lighthouse cities, findings from Espoo and Leipzig are also aimed at cities across Europe and beyond to boost development of PEDs together with citizens.
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Functional fragmentation in city hall and Twitter communication during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Atlanta, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2020.101539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Jiang T, Wang Y, Lin T, Shangguan L. Evaluating Chinese government WeChat official accounts in public service delivery: A user-centered approach. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2020.101548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Stone JA, Can SH. Factors influencing tweet purposes and citizen engagement with municipal Twitter accounts. ONLINE INFORMATION REVIEW 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/oir-05-2020-0175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the demographic, resource and internal competition factors that influence both the level of citizen engagement provided by municipal Twitter accounts as well as the primary purposes for which those accounts are used.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a mixed-methods approach. Twitter data were content analyzed and categorized according to their specific purposes (information dissemination, community building or calls to action). Twitter engagement was measured as an index variable constructed from prior research, and multiple regression was used to determine the factors which best predict both account engagement and tweet purposes.FindingsThe results show that two factors (a multiplatform approach and fiscal health) along with the interaction of those factors predict the level of Twitter-based citizen engagement. Median citizen age was found to significantly predict the percentage of municipal tweets with purposes of information dissemination and community building.Originality/valueThis study adds to the literature on public sector social media use by examining the purposes and practices of local government Twitter use, providing a context for examining how Twitter is employed by local governments for citizen engagement.
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Citizen Science on Twitter: Using Data Analytics to Understand Conversations and Networks. FUTURE INTERNET 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/fi12120210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a long-term study on how the public engage with discussions around citizen science and crowdsourcing topics. With progress in sensor technologies and IoT, our cities and neighbourhoods are increasingly sensed, measured and observed. While such data are often used to inform citizen science projects, it is still difficult to understand how citizens and communities discuss citizen science activities and engage with citizen science projects. Understanding these engagements in greater depth will provide citizen scientists, project owners, practitioners and the generic public with insights around how social media can be used to share citizen science related topics, particularly to help increase visibility, influence change and in general and raise awareness on topics. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the first large-scale study on understanding how such information is discussed on Twitter, particularly outside the scope of individual projects. The paper reports on the wide variety of topics (e.g., politics, news, ecological observations) being discussed on social media and a wide variety of network types and the varied roles played by users in sharing information in Twitter. Based on these findings, the paper highlights recommendations for stakeholders for engaging with citizen science topics.
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Linguistic analysis of municipal twitter feeds: Factors influencing frequency and engagement. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2020.101468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Rodrigues JDL, Gomes SC, Borges FQ. Electronic participation via Facebook: the potential from Brazilian municipalities. TRANSFORMING GOVERNMENT- PEOPLE PROCESS AND POLICY 2020. [DOI: 10.1108/tg-06-2019-0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to measure the potential for electronic participation of Brazilian citizens via Facebook as social media, identifying latent factors that provide a favorable environment for such participation by Brazilian municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Based on these factors, the Potential Index for Electronic Participation (PIEP) of municipalities is calculated.
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical discussion is based on the literature on electronic government and citizen participation. In the methodology, exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis have been used to identify latent factors and to classify PIEP according to the clusters.
Findings
The results of the research point to serious regional discrepancies regarding the level of participation in social media, highlighting an urgent need for national e-government policies to be rethought from a regionalized point of view.
Originality/value
The research enhances understanding of the relation between sociodemographic indicators such as income, education, employment and those concerning the access to and effective use of social media technologies by citizens and local governments.
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Faber B, Budding T, Gradus R. Assessing social media use in Dutch municipalities: Political, institutional, and socio-economic determinants. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION QUARTERLY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2020.101484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Chen Q, Min C, Zhang W, Wang G, Ma X, Evans R. Unpacking the black box: How to promote citizen engagement through government social media during the COVID-19 crisis. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2020; 110:106380. [PMID: 32292239 PMCID: PMC7151317 DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2020.106380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 200] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
During times of public crises, governments must act swiftly to communicate crisis information effectively and efficiently to members of the public; failure to do so will inevitably lead citizens to become fearful, uncertain and anxious in the prevailing conditions. This pioneering study systematically investigates how Chinese central government agencies used social media to promote citizen engagement during the COVID-19 crisis. Using data scraped from ‘Healthy China’, an official Sina Weibo account of the National Health Commission of China, we examine how citizen engagement relates to a series of theoretically relevant factors, including media richness, dialogic loop, content type and emotional valence. Results show that media richness negatively predicts citizen engagement through government social media, but dialogic loop facilitates engagement. Information relating to the latest news about the crisis and the government's handling of the event positively affects citizen engagement through government social media. Importantly, all relationships were contingent upon the emotional valence of each Weibo post. This study investigates how to promote citizen engagement through government social media during the COVID-19 crisis. Media richness negatively predicts citizen engagement, but dialogic loop facilitates engagement. Information relating to the latest news and the government's handling positively affects citizen engagement. All relationships were contingent upon the emotional valence of each Weibo post.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Chen
- School of Journalism and New Media, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
| | - Chen Min
- Department of Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- College of Public Administration, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Medicine and Health Management, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
- Corresponding author. 13# Hangkong Road, Wuhan, Hubei, 430030, PR China.
| | - Ge Wang
- College of Public Administration, Central China Normal University, China
| | - Xiaoyue Ma
- School of Journalism and New Media, Xi'an Jiaotong University, China
| | - Richard Evans
- College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences, Brunel University London, United Kingdom
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