Thesis (MA) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Communication and Media Studies Department

Includes bibliography (sheets 94-109)

ABSTRACT
The integration of social media technologies into public relations efforts and
campaigns is considered a necessary and wise strategy due to the significant role that
public relations plays in communication for various companies, individuals, and
brands. This research aims to analyze the Nigerian government's utilization of
Facebook as a means of public relations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study
employed a qualitative research design. The data was collected by gathering
uploaded content from official Facebook accounts of the Federal Ministry of Health
(FMOHN) and the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC). The selection of the
governmental entities was based on their significant roles as regulatory organizations
within the Nigerian government responsible for overseeing issues related to COVID- 19. The data was collected through the method of content analysis. According to the
findings, both NCDC and FMOHN had the highest content frequency distribution
during weekdays, while NCDC distributed a significant amount of its content during
non-working hours, FMOHN distributed its content during regular working hours. The government's primary method of conveying information was through the use of
text and photographs. In terms of post themes, the bulk of posts were on health
advocacy and emergencies and public health awareness. Furthermore, the findings
implied that there was a higher level of engagement among users with government
accounts' social media postings outside non-working hours than during working
hours, as evaluated by metrics such as likes, shares, and comments. Furthermore, likes were the most common type of engagement, followed by comments and shares. The content connected to improving health advocacy and emergencies and public
health awareness obtained the greatest user engagement, followed by those
regarding public health protection and, lastly, those regarding healthy behavioral
changes. Nonetheless, as compared to the FMOHN, the NCDC displayed a more
effective use of social media for public relations purposes. Individuals expressed
concern about the presentation of symptoms linked to COVID-19 in the context of
public health awareness. Concerns about insufficient compliance with social
distancing norms were raised by people in relation to the issue of public health
protection. Concerning the issue of fostering healthy behavioral change, it was
discovered that people were concerned about the restricted availability and high cost
of hand sanitizers. It is recommended that government entities and healthcare
professionals utilize emerging information technologies to disseminate informative
disease-related content to a wider audience, thereby enhancing their self-protection
strategies. Keywords: Covid-19, Healthy Behavioral Change, Public Health Awareness, Public
Health Protection, Public Relation, Social Media