Analysis of Municipal COVID-19 Information Dissemination Using X (formerly Twitter):

A Perspective on Infodemic Management

Abstract

This paper uses an infodemic management perspective to analyze COVID-19 information dissemination by Japanese local governments using X (formerly Twitter). It focuses on five municipalities: Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido, Aichi, and Yamagata. The study highlights significant regional differences. Engagement levels varied due to regional infection status, resident characteristics, content, and timing of posts. Social media use allowed for timely and diverse information sharing but revealed issues with consistency and reliability. Future research should include more municipalities and use diverse evaluation metrics to improve regional infodemic management and information dissemination strategies.