Nikolina Pejović, MSc, PhD Student
University “Mediterranean”, Podgorica (MNE)
Abstract
Crisis situations are an integral part of life, business operations, and the functioning of modern society. Due to their frequency and impact on everyday life, crises are now viewed not only as risks but also as opportunities for adaptation and capacity enhancement at all levels. This perspective is reflected in Sun Tzu’s well-known statement: “In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” One of the most important aspects that requires continuous improvement is the way communication is managed during crisis situations. Like the rest of the world, Montenegro faced the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During the pandemic, citizens actively used social media to obtain information about current protective measures, the potential consequences of the virus, and the current epidemiological situation at the national level. This suggests that digital communication channels play an exceptionally important role in shaping citizens’ trust in institutions during crisis situations. The subject of this paper is to examine the perceptions of Montenegrin citizens regarding digital communication channels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Citizens’ trust in information disseminated through various communication channels was examined. The research was conducted using a survey questionnaire administered to a sample of Montenegrin citizens. The aim of the study is to determine the level of association between the quality of institutional digital communication, the use of social media, and the levels of citizens’ trust and informedness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19, crisis communication, digital communication channels, social media, citizens’ trust, Montenegro.
INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge not only to the healthcare system but also to the public sector as a whole. The success of leaders in implementing the health measures that were in effect at the time depended on citizens’ trust as well as on the effectiveness of the communication strategy (Thielsch et al., 2021). Public trust is a key resource for leveraging all other available resources and maintaining the behaviors necessary for effective pandemic management (Agley, 2020).