Desk Analysis of Crisis Communication by Public Authorities During Health Crises

Communication by public authorities during a crisis is an important and essential part of responding to situations that can endanger lives and property. Social media platforms, identified as the main source of news according to research, provide a significant opportunity for communication. Media outlets played a crucial role during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Facebook continuing to lead as a news source compared to other social media platforms. This study analyzes the posts from the official Facebook profile "Koronavirus.hr," which serves as the government's official page for COVID-19 information in the Republic of Croatia. Using a desk analysis method, the study examines the content of the posts across four pandemic waves, considering the number of cases, post size, type of visual/video content, and social reactions. The analysis reveals that the average post size is approximately 37 words, with the most common length being 51 words. The posts predominantly feature general visual/video materials, with an average video duration of around 50.40 minutes. Social reactions to posts about the number of new cases have an average count of 38.18 per post, with an average of 5.61 comments and 1.55 shares. The correlation analysis shows a statistically significant positive correlation between the number of new cases reported in a post and the total number of comments and shares. Additionally, there are statistically significant positive correlations between post size (word count) and the total number of reactions, comments, and shares. However, further analysis reveals a lack of a statistically significant relationship between post size (word count) and the total number of reactions. This study provides guidelines for the future creation of posts by public authorities on social media during crisis situations and opens the way for further research in the field of communication strategies.