Impacts of Social Media on the Presidency

Social media has become a trend and a fast communication tool in today’s world, almost taking over most of the traditional ways of communication.

In a modern world of fast-paced technological evolution as well as new ways of interacting with business-to-business and humanto-human interaction, social media has taken a dramatic twist on how communication is and how we should all embrace modern technology in delivering messages or handling communication in general.

The Presidency has also embraced the use of social media in order to improve how the Office communicates with stakeholders and the general public. This is indeed a great step closer to the incorporation of innovation as well as keeping up with modern times. Although social media is interpreted differently by many people, some are in support of it, some are sceptical about it and some still have a negative perception or view of the use of social media. However, the world of technology is changing every day, thus requiring institutions to align themselves with technological changes.

The Presidency and government institutions have however embraced these new tools of communication when it comes to the use of social media at a professional level. This is indeed a great move, as the public can receive first-hand information on time and right at their fingertips.

The first pillar (Effective Governance) of the Harambee Prosperity Plan II (HPPII) glances at the role of the Government’s aptitude to centralise decisionmaking and development through the country’s people, as this takes on a significant meaning and is the principle of democracy. Goal four of the Effective Governance pillar concentrates on enhanced citizen participation and engagement. Under this goal, access to public information is one of the key strategies and actions deployed to reach desired goals in accountability and transparency at the governmental level. Access to information further ensures that citizens have access to relevant public information. This also falls under the Access to Information Act No. 8 of 2022. Social media contributes to these desired outcomes.

The use of social media as one of the main communication tools has brought the nation closer to the Presidency’s activities and its ability to engage with the public. This is a great achievement for the Presidency in maintaining a good image by sharing vital public information timely and on a regular basis.

In addition, social media is a highly engaged platform in the Presidency, where public opinions are welcomed. Without censorship, the nation can exercise its democratic right by raising its opinions on shared information. The Presidency continues to strengthen the use of social media platforms to disseminate reliable and credible information to the public.

The Presidency also contributes to maintaining its online presence for credibility in the advent of new technology where fake news, misinformation and disinformation are on the increase.

Over the years, social media has become a powerful tool for many governments to disseminate information and sway public opinion with a single press of a button. With a majority of Namibians having social media accounts lately, more and more people across the Land of the Brave have used their social media power to share public policy opinions.

The Presidency’s presence on social media aims at:

•establishing a sense of trust with the community by growing the number of followers on social media platforms; •responding to comments and q uestions from the followers; •keeping followers informed with key information that affects them; and •keeping key public information and public announcements to the nation.

To keep updated, follow the Namibian Presidency on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, as well as the YouTube channel.