Email this article 
Political public relations in digital health communication: Engagement and trust building
Abstract
Background: The increasing complexity of health crises in the digital era has heightened the need for effective communication strategies that not only inform but also build trust. Political Public Relations (Political PR) has emerged as a central actor in framing public understanding and shaping behavior in response to government-led health campaigns. Purpose: This study explores how Political PR strategies are utilized in digital health communication to influence public trust and engagement. Methods: Employing a qualitative-comparative method, this research analyzes two case studies—Indonesia and Country X—focusing on the effectiveness, framing, and ethical dimensions of Political PR campaigns. Results: The findings reveal that Political PR strategies that emphasize credibility, transparency, and interactive communication, especially those involving health experts, tend to foster stronger public engagement. Platforms like Instagram and YouTube are more effective than text-heavy media such as Twitter, particularly when messages are framed empathetically and supported by trusted sources. However, ethical challenges such as misinformation, political bias, and the use of non-expert influencers pose risks to public trust. Conclusion: The study highlights the critical need for campaigns to integrate evidence-based messaging, collaborative communication, and ethical standards. Implications: This research contributes to both theoretical and practical understandings of Political PR in health communication by offering insights on strategy development, public trust dynamics, and platform effectiveness. The findings are expected to guide future political communication efforts during public health emergencies in digital contexts.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Alaimo, K. (2019). New challenges for political public relations professionals in the era of social media. In Political Public Relations: Concepts, Principles, and Applications Routledge,. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351053143-17
Alif, I. S., Karnay, S., & Amir, A. S. (2023). Strategi Komunikasi kesehatan penanganan stunting (Studi pada Kelurahan Watang Bacukiki Kota Parepare). Interaksi: Jurnal Ilmu Komunikasi, 12(1), 66–89. https://doi.org/10.14710/interaksi.12.1.66-89
Allcott, H., Gentzkow, M., & Yu, C. (2019). Trends in the diffusion of misinformation on social media. Research and Politics, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2053168019848554
Bowen, S. A. (2019). Public relations ethics. Milli Egitim, 48(222), 277–292. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315148106-5
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Interactive data collection: Focus groups. Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for Beginners.
Bridgman, A., Merkley, E., Loewen, P. J., Owen, T., Ruths, D., Teichmann, L., & Zhilin, O. (2020). The causes and consequences of COVID-19 misperceptions: Understanding the role of news and social media. Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review, 1(3), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-028
Coombs & Holladay, S. J., W. T. (2012). The handbook of crisis communication. Wiley-Blackwell.
Coombs, W. T. (2020). Public relations and crisis communication. The International Encyclopedia of Strategic Communication.
Entman, R. M. (2018). Framing bias: Media in the distribution of power. Journal of Communication, 57(1), 163–173.
Garrett, L. (2020). COVID-19: The medium is the message. The Lancet, 395(10228), 942–943.
Gollust, S. E., Nagler, R. H., & Fowler, E. F. (2020). The Emergence of COVID-19 in the US: A Public Health and Political Communication Crisis. Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, 45(6), 967–981. https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-8641506
Hagelstein, J., Einwiller, S., & Zerfass, A. (2021). The ethical dimension of public relations in Europe: Digital channels, moral challenges, resources, and training. Public Relations Review, 47(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102063
Hart, P. S., Chinn, S., & Soroka, S. (2020). Politicization and polarization in COVID-19 news coverage. Science Communication, 42(5), 679–697. https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547020950735
Lestari, E., Rahmanto, A. N., & Satyawan, I. A. (2023). Hospital public relation and internal communication barriers during the Covid-19 pandemic. PRofesi Humas, 7(2), 166–178. https://doi.org/10.24198/prh.v7i2.41935
Liu, Y., & Duarte, H. (2023). Repairing public trust through communication in health crises: A systematic review of the literature. Public Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2023.2284224
McCarthy, R. N. E., Donkoh, E. T., Arthur, D. D. G., Dassah, E. T., Boadu, K. O., Otoo, J. E., Boadu, I. W. O., & Gyasi, S. F. (2023). Public relations strategies employed by the Ghana Health Service to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: A qualitative inquiry. Tropical Medicine and Health, 51(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41182-023-00519-7
Rubin, A. M. (2009). Uses-and-gratifications perspective on media effects. In Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research (3rd Ed., Pp. 165–184). Routledge.
Scharnetzki, E., Waterston, L., Scherer, A. M., Thorpe, A., Fagerlin, A., & Han, P. K. J. (2023). Effects of Prosocial and Hope-Promoting Communication Strategies on COVID-19 Worry and Intentions for Risk-Reducing Behaviors and Vaccination: Experimental Study. JMIR Formative Research, 7. https://doi.org/10.2196/41959
Sebastião, S. P., Zulato, G., & Santos, T. B. (2017). Public relations practitioners’ attitudes towards the ethical use of social media in Portuguese speaking countries. Public Relations Review, 43(3), 537–546. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2017.03.012
Siegrist, M. (2021). Trust and risk perception: A critical review of the literature. Risk Analysis, 41(3), 480–490.
Social, W. A., & Meltwater. (2023). Digital 2023: Indonesia.
Soo, N., Anderson, A., & Heywood-Heath, C. (2023). The promiscuous public? Exploring public opinion and why it matters to political actors. Politics, 43(1), 89–105. https://doi.org/10.1177/02633957211007706
Sweetser, K. D. (2019a). Digital political public relations. In Political Public Relations: Concepts, Principles, and Applications, 2nd Edition (pp. 82–104). Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351053143-4
Sweetser, K. D. (2019b). Digital political public relations. In Political Public Relations: Concepts, Principles, and Applications, 2nd Edition (pp. 82–104). Taylor and Francis; Scopus. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351053143-4
Uddin, J., & Sun, W. (2023). Health Communication: An International Perspective in the Digital Space. In African Media Space and Globalization. 323–339. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35060-3_14
Yin, R. K. (2012). Case Study Research Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks
Yulianti, W., & Boer, R. F. (2020). Manajemen krisis public relations dalam menangani penolakan imunisasi measles rubella. PRofesi Humas, 4(2), 290–311. https://doi.org/10.24198/prh.v4i2.23700.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24198/prh.v10i1.62600
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Andi Subhan Amir, Moti Pangkam
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
PRofesi Humas Indexed by:
Editorial Office of PRofesi Humas:
Faculty of Communication Science, Universitas Padjadjaran
Jl. Raya Bandung-Sumedang Km. 21 Jatinangor, Sumedang, Indonesia 45363
WA: +6282316731181 (Chat Only)
Telephone: +62227796954
Faxmile: +62227794122
Email: jurnal.profesihumas.fikom@unpad.ac.id
PRofesi Humas Supervised by:
