The Usage of Social Media and Political Branding of Public Official during Covid-19

Abstract

The study examined the use of social media by public officials during the Covid-19 Pandemic, focusing on the Twitter accounts of the Java Province Governor. The accounts were studied as they were associated with four of Indonesia's governors with a high level of activity. The study employed a qualitative method. Data were collected from the given Twitter accounts, which contained pieces related to policies for the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic using the NCapture software. The results of the analysis showed that the four governors seemed to deliberately use social media and Covid-19 issues for various purposes ranging from the use of social media as an instrument of information and communication transparency, an instrument for internal government coordination to an instrument for political branding for 2021 Presidential Election. Based on the result of the analysis of the data obtained from Twitter accounts belonging to the governors of java Province Governor, Jakarta, a conclusion is drawn on account of the use of social media during the Covid-19 pandemic

Comparison of Indonesian President Jokowi's Political Victory Strategy and Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim

“…Political branding is a way to attract the attention of the drawees or the people to elect a presidential candidate who will lead the country as head of state in future affairs. Political branding is very important for countries that practice democracy to elect leaders [15]. Democracy will ensure that a government is only led by a leader such as hierarchy and autocracy because democracy is the best system in many dirty ones for the system of electing the head of state.…”