Issue segmentation by public agencies: Assessing communication strategies of EU agencies related to Covid-19

Abstract

An agency's self-portrayal can help to protect its jurisdictional turf and strengthen its reputational uniqueness. While prior reputational studies have shown that agencies are attentive to the media and political principals, they have not assessed how inter-agency dynamics might shape their public outreach and message. This paper argues that if multiple public agencies are confronted with a shared salient issue, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, they engage in ‘issue segmentation’: mindful of each other's distinct jurisdictional and reputational profiles, their communication centers around sub-issues that do not overlap with core missions of other agencies. We assess this expectation via a study of Twitter communication of 38 European Union agencies related to Covid-19. Using an automated thematic analysis of tweets, we show that agencies engage in issue segmentation and focus on unique sub-issues. The findings contribute to a better understanding of public outreach of agencies in times of crisis.