Trust me, I am the social media manager! Public sector communication’s trust work in municipality social media channels

Lovari, Alessandro

;Materassi, Letizia

2021-01-01

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Abstract

Purpose: The study aims at investigating the role of social media managers (SMMs) as trust mediators and access points in the context of local government. Little empirical work is devoted to this issue and the purpose of the paper is to provide a better understanding of the trust work routines. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents the results of a pilot study. Authors adopt a qualitative approach, using semi-structured in-depth interviews with a selected panel of PR professionals, managing social media channels on behalf of eleven Italian municipalities. Findings: SMMs are aware of having a key-role in nurturing trust, and trust is a design value of their work. This article shows many “signs of trust” that SMMs perceive as important to foster trust in the digital environment and in relations with citizens within the municipal context. Research limitations/implications: This pilot study draws upon a small sample and a single country-focus. Practical implications: The detected “signs of trust” can be useful for further investigations and provide SMMs with practical suggestions to integrate into their strategies. Originality/value: Two main fields – the use of social media and the impact on public sector communication and the institution/citizen trust relationships – are connected to the specific role played by SMMs: an emerging figure as yet little analyzed by scholars.