The Impact of Digitization on the Effectiveness of the Performance of the Government Communication

Abstract

The importance of government communication has emerged in linking and integrating governmental sectors, activating their roles, highlighting their initiatives and future projects, and managing emergency situations. It has become evident that there is a clear shortcoming in the employment of modern digital technologies within the government communication system, as most local departments still practice their communication functions through traditional methods. Accordingly, the research aimed to identify the concept, functions, and types of government communication, and to clarify how modern digital technologies can be utilized as tools for developing government communication strategies. The study adopted the case study approach to examine government communication in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, through a review of theoretical literature and previous studies addressing the concepts of government communication, communication governance, and digital transformation. The findings indicated that the digital communications revolution has transformed the landscape of government communication not only in terms of adopting new technological innovations, but also in reshaping media practices within the governmental environment, which now derives its effectiveness from its ability to employ digital tools and technologies in content creation, engagement, evaluation, and the comprehensive management of the communication process within an intelligent electronic government services ecosystem.