Social Media Metrics and Popular Legitimacy: Content Analysis of Pre– and Post–COVID-19 Public Engagement With the World Health Organization on X
This study demonstrates the feasibility of using social media metrics to measure international organization (IO) legitimacy over time. The findings highlight the impact of global crises on public trust and provide a replicable framework for assessing the legitimacy of other IOs. Social media engagement offers valuable insights for IOs to adapt communication strategies and maintain public trust during crises.
Authors
- Cristiane Melchior (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4119-5962)
- Nathalie de Marcellis-Warin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0897-9367)
- Thierry Warin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5921-3428)
Institutions
- HEC Montréal (CA)
- Polytechnique Montréal (CA)
- Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (FI)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Medical Internet Research
- Published
- 2025-12-08
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.2196/69959
- Primary Topic
- Public Relations and Crisis Communication
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00