Work

The Construction of Public Emergency Discourse by Local Governments: A Study on Social Media Discourse Strategies

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: With the popularity of social media, local governments have increasingly relied on these platforms to disseminate information and interact with the public when responding to public emergencies. Social media not only provides a direct communication platform for governments but also brings new challenges and opportunities for the management of public emergencies. This paper aims to explore the discourse strategies employed by local governments on social media, analyze their characteristics, identify existing problems, and propose corresponding optimization strategies. Through the study of discourse strategies, it is found that local governments often face issues such as lack of precision, low transparency, and insufficient emotional guidance during information dissemination. Local governments should enhance the accuracy and consistency of their information, improve communication transparency and public engagement, and balance the expression of rational information with emotional guidance to enhance public recognition and trust in government discourse.

Source: Media and Communication Research

DOI: 10.23977/mediacr.2025.060307

Author: Lili Gui

Institution: Nanjing Xiaozhuang University

Language: English

Topic: Public Relations and Crisis Communication

Subfield: Communication

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Government of Jiangsu Province