Political organization-public relationship: Impact of Timing, Perceived Source and Message Authenticity on Trust and Satisfaction in heightened political environments.

Abstract

Although government agencies prefer public information model when disseminating information, this study opines that public relations managers of Kenya's investigative agency (DCI-Kenya) relied on publicity model to communicate a high-profile corruption expose involving a deputy presidential candidate, nine days before 2022 general election. As a result, Kenyans online questioned the authenticity of not only the corruption expose but also the organizations’ intentions and preferences so close to the general elections. Using political organization-public relationship model and contingency theory this study thematically examined the attitudes of commenting audience on DCI-Kenya official Facebook page, to interpret users' perceptions towards the organization and the information published (message), the timing factor, and the relationship between perceived source and message authenticity with trust and satisfaction. The findings indicate that DCI-Kenya communication approach was detrimental to the public trust the organization has cultivated in recent years and leaves many dissatisfied with their ability to deliver on their mandate of fighting corruption. This study offers valuable insights for political public relations practitioners, particularly on the importance of timing and source authenticity in heightened political environments. Interestingly, findings indicate a strong link between source authenticity, public's trust, and satisfaction but a weaker link to the message authenticity.