arbiter
JournalsAccount

The Citizen between Disbelief and Purpose: Trust and Social Media in Government

Josevana de Lucena Rodrigues et al.

Information Polity2026https://doi.org/10.1177/15701255261416610article
ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

This research examines how citizen participation in local government social media relates to trust in public institutions. The study adopts a qualitative netnographic design, combining observation of government Facebook pages with interviews conducted with active citizens in urban regions of the Brazilian Amazon. This approach enables a deeper understanding of how online interactions reflect citizens’ perceptions of competence, benevolence, and integrity in local governments. The findings reveal distinct levels of participation and trust shaped by the communicative dynamics of social media, demonstrating how digital engagement practices influence citizens’ emotional connection and confidence in governmental actions. Overall, the study highlights the role of social media as both a technological and social space that mediates contemporary relationships between citizens and government.

Open via your library →

Cite this paper

https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/15701255261416610

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{josevana2026,
  title        = {{The Citizen between Disbelief and Purpose: Trust and Social Media in Government}},
  author       = {Josevana de Lucena Rodrigues et al.},
  journal      = {Information Polity},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/15701255261416610},
}

Paste directly into BibTeX, Zotero, or your reference manager.

Flag this paper

The Citizen between Disbelief and Purpose: Trust and Social Media in Government

Flags are reviewed by the Arbiter methodology team within 5 business days.

Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.