From Public Administration to Memes: How does the Taiwanese Ministries’ meme usage on social media affect citizen  reaction and engagement?

Social media has become a critical avenue for government to disseminate information, foster government-citizen communication, and engage the public. This study investigates the impact of Taiwan’s ministries’ meme usage on Facebook and citizen reactions and engagement toward those memes. While existing literature has explored social media’s role in the government’s social media usage and humor’s potential in digital communication, the role of memes in public administration’s online communicative strategies remains understudied. This paper reveals that memes can foster a positive perception of the government, community building, and public service delivery through conducting a content analysis on the memes posted by the ministries and the comments reactions to those memes. However, the government should consider employing humor styles and types that are more aligned with the citizens’ preferences. These findings provide valuable insights for public administrators, highlighting the...Show moreSocial media has become a critical avenue for government to disseminate information, foster government-citizen communication, and engage the public. This study investigates the impact of Taiwan’s ministries’ meme usage on Facebook and citizen reactions and engagement toward those memes. While existing literature has explored social media’s role in the government’s social media usage and humor’s potential in digital communication, the role of memes in public administration’s online communicative strategies remains understudied. This paper reveals that memes can foster a positive perception of the government, community building, and public service delivery through conducting a content analysis on the memes posted by the ministries and the comments reactions to those memes. However, the government should consider employing humor styles and types that are more aligned with the citizens’ preferences. These findings provide valuable insights for public administrators, highlighting the memes’ potential to build the government’s reputation and initiate dialogue with citizens. This paper contributes to a broader understanding of the government’s strategies for digital communication, offering practical suggestions while contributing to the academic communities by revealing memes’potential in civic engagement and strategic communication.Show less

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From Public Administration to Memes: How does the Taiwanese Ministries’ meme usage on social media affect citizen reaction and engagement?