A content analysis on instagram usage practices of municipalities from the perspective of public public relations: The case of İzmit municipality

The use of social media by large masses leads to significant changes in the communication strategies of institutions. Communication studies focused on social media and prioritizing digital interaction are replacing traditional methods. Institutions are taking care to develop a more effective and interactive communication language in this medium, which eliminates time and space limitations. In this context, this qualitative study aims to evaluate the institutional communication style of İzmit Municipality, one of the district municipalities, from the perspective of "Public Public Relations". The sample of the study consists of İzmit Municipality, one of the district municipalities, which actively uses social media. Social media channels are limited to "Instagram" in the study. The posts made by İzmit Municipality on its official Instagram account between January 1, 2024 and June 30, 2024 are examined using the content analysis method. In the study, it was concluded that İzmit Municipality's Instagram account does not sufficiently reflect the principles of transparency, participation and interaction required by the understanding of public public relations. It was determined that the account was largely managed with content focused on information and promotion, and that a two-way and interaction-based communication could not be established with citizens. The lack of dialogue-based sharing and the inadequacy of content open to public participation revealed that the municipality still follows the traditional public relations model in the use of social media. Keywords: Social Media, Public Public Relations, Communication