TY - JOUR
T1 - When Public Health Communication Intertwines with Social Media Logic. A Focus on the Early Phase of COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy
AU - Locatelli, Elisabetta
AU - Lovari, Alessandro
AU - Righetti, Nicola
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - During recent years, public health organizations have faced the challenges of digitization, adopting new communication practices. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on this process, accelerating the digitization of healthcare communication. In this context, utilizing a theoretical framework that intertwines health communication and social media studies, this article investigates how local health authorities located in Lombardy (North of Italy) managed COVID-19 pandemic on their Facebook pages during the first phase of the emergency. The findings highlight the growing number of COVID-19 posts in the pages and a significant response from social media users in terms of interactions and engagement, reiterating the strategic role of these organizations in healthcare communication. Furthermore, they reveal a gradual adaptation of health communication to the dynamics of social media, especially in terms of popularity, programmability, and connectivity. The emergence of a platform-based approach to healthcare communication is also discussed.
AB - During recent years, public health organizations have faced the challenges of digitization, adopting new communication practices. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted on this process, accelerating the digitization of healthcare communication. In this context, utilizing a theoretical framework that intertwines health communication and social media studies, this article investigates how local health authorities located in Lombardy (North of Italy) managed COVID-19 pandemic on their Facebook pages during the first phase of the emergency. The findings highlight the growing number of COVID-19 posts in the pages and a significant response from social media users in terms of interactions and engagement, reiterating the strategic role of these organizations in healthcare communication. Furthermore, they reveal a gradual adaptation of health communication to the dynamics of social media, especially in terms of popularity, programmability, and connectivity. The emergence of a platform-based approach to healthcare communication is also discussed.
KW - COVID-19
KW - digital methods
KW - Facebook
KW - Social media
KW - local health authorities
KW - platform society
KW - health communication
KW - COVID-19
KW - digital methods
KW - Facebook
KW - Social media
KW - local health authorities
KW - platform society
KW - health communication
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/301120
U2 - 10.26350/001200_000198
DO - 10.26350/001200_000198
M3 - Article
SN - 1827-7969
SP - 21
EP - 36
JO - Comunicazioni Sociali
JF - Comunicazioni Sociali
ER -