Social media use in managing COVID-19 pandemic in higher educational institutions

It has never in human history that communication travels quickly during pandemic as it hits during coronavirus pandemic. Since its existence in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and later spread to almost all parts of the world, social media play a vital role in disseminating information about it to the public. The rapid spread of misinformation, rumors and fake news via social media and instant messaging creates panic, fear and anxiety among the public. Doubtlessly, a bulk of information about coronavirus disease communicated through this platform has created a great challenge to all parties including higher educational institutions. This situation creates worries among the university staff, students and their parents, hence urging the university’s authority to interact with the relevant parties by providing reliable information through appropriate media channels. This study explores how universities use social media in managing and responding to the community including students, staff and their stakeholders during COVID-19 pandemic. Facebook and Twitter of a public university in Malaysia were analysed to identify what and how information is disseminated in response to Covid-19 pandemic