Factors influencing public engagement in government TikTok during the COVID-19 crisis
ISSN: 0264-0473
Article publication date: 26 December 2023
Issue publication date: 10 April 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Although governments have used social media platforms to interact with the public in an attempt to minimize anxiety and provide a forum for public discussion during the pandemic, governments require sufficient crisis communication skills to engage citizens in taking appropriate action effectively. This study aims to examine how the National Health Commission of China (NHCC) has used TikTok, the leading short video–based platform, to facilitate public engagement during COVID-19.
Design/methodology/approach
Building upon dual process theories, this study integrates the activation of information exposure, prosocial interaction theory and social sharing of emotion theory to explore how public engagement is related to message sensation value (MSV), media character, content theme and emotional valence. A total of 354 TikTok videos posted by NHCC were collected during the pandemic to explore the determinants of public engagement in crises.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that MSV negatively predicts public engagement with government TikTok, but that instructional information increases engagement. The presence of celebrities and health-care professionals negatively affects public engagement with government TikTok accounts. In addition, emotional valence serves a moderating role between MSV, media characters and public engagement.
Originality/value
Government agencies must be fully aware of the different combinations of MSV and emotion use in the video title when releasing crisis-related videos. Government agencies can also leverage media characters – health professionals in particular – to enhance public engagement. Government agencies are encouraged to solicit public demand for the specific content of instructing information through data mining techniques.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the contribution of the section editor, anonymous reviewers and their invaluable comments.
Funding: The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This research is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 72104087], the National Social Science Foundation of China [grant number 23BXW029] and the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province (Project No. 2022JM-418). The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Data availability: The data sets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Declaration of competing interest: None.
Since submission of this article, the following author has updated their affiliation: Hui Yuan is at the School of Public Health, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Citation
Zhang, W., Yuan, H., Zhu, C., Chen, Q., Evans, R.D. and Min, C. (2024), "Factors influencing public engagement in government TikTok during the COVID-19 crisis", The Electronic Library, Vol. 42 No. 2, pp. 210-229. https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-06-2023-0150
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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