Mobile instant messaging services and Covid-19: opportunities and limitations for institutional communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3145/thinkepi.2020.e14d05Keywords:
Covid-19, WhatsApp, Political communication, Public communication, Mobile instant messaging services, Public administrations, GovernmentsAbstract
The Covid-19 outbreak has revealed citizens' great need for information during times of crisis. One of the main channels for accessing information is mobile instant messaging services, which are also essential for social interactions within the context of deep mediatization. The objective of this article is to evaluate the opportunities and limitations that these platforms have offered for institutional communication during the coronavirus crisis. For this purpose, we examined the use of WhatsApp and Telegram channels by public administrations, focusing on the Spanish case in addition to incorporating other international examples. We found that the dissemination of official and verified information, on the one hand, and their ability to counter fake news, on the other, made these services a useful ally for institutions in terms of providing high-quality public service during the coronavirus crisis.
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