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Government communication on Twitter during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador

Abstract:

The management of government communication in crisis situations is a key piece to guarantee the emission of clear and effective messages to the citizens. To achieve this end, it is necessary to know and take advantage of the potential of the communication channels that are available. In context, this study aims to analyze the management of Ecuador's government communication on Twitter during the state of exception due to the COVID-19 pandemic, observing the communicative reality of the Ecuadorian Emergency Operations Committee in its three official accounts (@ComunicacionEc, @MinGobiernoEc and @Riesgos_Ec). For this, a mixed approach methodology is outlined that is applied in two stages: in the first, through the Fanpage Karma tool, eight indicators are extracted that allow measuring the performance, impact and commitment generated in the audiences; and, in the second, through direct observation, six variables are collected from which the communication issued through the aforementioned social network is characterized. The results show an average performance in communication 2.0, as well as an absence of optimal engagement with digital audiences, accompanied by a low use of "hypermedia"elements that can enhance the effectiveness of the messages broadcast.