Communication policy of public authorities during the war

Abstract

Forming an effective communication policy of public authorities is the key to building a high level of trust among citizens towards their activities. During peacetime, this contributes to the economic development of the state and the formation of the capacity of united territorial communities. However, during the crisis and war in Ukraine, the communications policy of public authorities showed that approaches to communication with the public, businesses, and international partners need to be changed. In this context, internet communication, which can be implemented through social networks and various messengers, chatbots, and websites that allow for rapid response to events, mobilization of the population, and explanation of necessary instructions, is becoming increasingly important. However, along with the positive aspects, there are also significant risks, such as the spread of false, fake information, disinformation, and manipulation, which necessitates raising the level of qualification of public authorities in the field of effective communication with the public and media literacy. It is worth mentioning certain aspects, such as the ability to respond and be prepared for various crises and wars. Therefore, an essential aspect of forming effective communication is understanding crisis communication. Thus, the main goal of this research is to uncover the peculiarities of the communication policy of public authorities with the public and to demonstrate which communication policy tools are the most effective during crisis situations. The research concludes that important aspects of effective communication include feedback from citizens, which is manifested in real actions and assistance to the authorities in making effective decisions.

Keywords

• communication policy, communication tools, war, community, trust, public authorities