Evaluating the Use of Public Relations Strategies in Managing COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Crises by Anambra State Government

Abstract

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus escalated myriad of health and social crises that government at all levels had to battle with to ensure the safety of the citizenry. The effective management of these crises is highly dependent on the resources at the disposal of government institutions and their ability to appropriately employ and deploy the various public relations strategies that will effectively address the fabric of the crises escalated by the pandemic. This study evaluated how the Anambra State Government managed COVID-19 related crises through the use of public relations strategies. The study looked at the actions and inactions taken by the Anambra State government geared towards managing all the COVID-19 related crises, their use of the various channels of communication and how effective these PR strategies were in managing the crises. The study made use of library research method in carrying out the study where the researchers depended on secondary data in carrying out the investigation. It was found that the Anambra State Government used public relations strategies like press releases, press conferences, announcements, town hall meetings with critical stakeholders like the market unions, transport unions, town unions etc. in disseminating appropriate information and behavior that helped in managing the various COVID-19 related crises in Anambra State. It was also found that the state government employed various media platforms like ABS Radio and Television, Newspapers, Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter. The study recommended that the state government should employ such PR strategies in handling other issues of concern in Anambra state owing to its effectiveness in handling COVID-19 pandemic-related crises.