Social Media Becomes an Important Channel for Public Service Information
The growth of digital media has changed how public institutions communicate with communities. Government information is no longer delivered only through official announcements or face-to-face meetings. Social media also enables institutions to distribute information quickly through text, photographs, infographics, and videos.
Instagram is one platform that public institutions can use to explain services through a combination of visual content and storytelling. However, making information available does not automatically make it easy to understand. Messages may be less effective when they rely on overly formal language, lack engaging presentation, or fail to explain the practical benefits of a service.
Polri 110 is an example of a public service that requires clear communication. The number provides a channel for people to report incidents requiring police attention, including criminal activity, accidents, and disturbances to public security and order.
Hafiz’s article highlights the importance of explaining not only that the service exists, but also what it does, how people can access it, and why it matters. Clear and accessible information can help people understand what steps to take when they need assistance.
How Was the Research Conducted?
Hafiz used a descriptive qualitative approach to examine the communication strategies employed by Divhumas Polri through its Instagram account, @divisihumaspolri. Data were collected during July–August 2026 through in-depth interviews, observation of social media content, and documentation.
The research drew on information from personnel involved in creative planning, graphic and video production, and social media distribution. The researcher compared interview findings with observed content to understand how messages were designed and delivered.
The analysis applied a framework of advertising appeals discussed by Belch and Belch. In the context of public service communication, this framework helps explain three approaches used to make messages more effective: rational appeal, emotional appeal, and humor.
Three Communication Strategies That Work Together
Factual information helps people understand the service
The rational approach emphasizes concrete information that answers questions about Polri 110. One example analyzed in the article is an infographic titled “Kita Saling Jaga, Jangan Ragu Hubungi Call Center Polri 110,” which can be translated as “Let’s Look Out for One Another: Don’t Hesitate to Contact the Polri 110 Call Center.”
The content highlights information about the service’s 24-hour availability, free access, ease of reporting, police response, and protection of the reporter’s identity. Images of call-center operators and concise messaging help make the information easier to understand.
This approach matters because people need clear reasons to use a service. Information about access and reporting procedures can reduce uncertainty, while explanations of the service’s benefits help audiences understand its practical value.
Stories about people’s experiences create emotional connections
The emotional approach appears in a video about an ice-coconut vendor whose bag, containing a mobile phone and money from sales, was stolen. In the story, the victim contacts Polri 110, after which police officers arrive and direct the victim to file an official report.
The narrative presents a situation that audiences can recognize from everyday life. Rather than simply being told that a service exists, viewers see an example of how it may be used when someone faces a problem.
Hafiz’s analysis suggests that this kind of storytelling can encourage empathy and create the impression that police services are connected to people’s everyday needs. Showing officers arriving at the scene also provides a more concrete picture of the service process.
However, these findings are qualitative interpretations based on content, interviews, and observation. The research did not directly measure whether the video caused an increase in public trust.
Humor attracts attention before delivering the main message
The third strategy uses humor to attract social media users’ attention. One example examined in the article is a video lasting approximately 53 seconds titled “Layanan Polisi 110,” or “Polri 110 Service.”
The video depicts a man witnessing a theft but choosing to record the incident and make it go viral instead of reporting it. The unexpected appearance of a female police officer creates a moment of surprise. The story then shifts toward the educational message that such incidents should be reported through Polri 110.
Humor acts as an engaging introduction, but public service education remains the central message. This approach illustrates how a lighthearted presentation can communicate useful information without losing sight of its purpose.
Communication Strategy Begins Before Content Is Published
One important finding in Hafiz’s article is that the three approaches are not used independently. Rational messaging, emotional storytelling, and humor are incorporated throughout the process, from message planning and script development to visual production, editing, and publication.
Each approach serves a different function. Rational information addresses the need for facts and explanations. Emotional stories connect the service with human experiences. Humor helps messages attract attention in a social media environment crowded with competing content.
Visual presentation also needs to match the chosen approach. Infographics should emphasize essential information, emotional videos need a coherent narrative, and humorous content requires carefully timed scenes and delivery.
Public service communication, therefore, involves more than distributing announcements. Messages need to be designed so that people can understand the information, recognize its relevance, and identify the actions they can take.
Implications for Public Service Communication
The findings offer lessons for government agencies, educational institutions, and public service providers that use social media to communicate with communities.
First, essential information must remain accurate and easy to find. Creative presentation should never obscure a service’s function, requirements, or procedures.
Second, stories based on real service experiences can help explain public services in a more human-centered way. Their use should respect factual accuracy, privacy, and the dignity of the people involved.
Third, humor can be used proportionately as long as it does not obscure the main message or trivialize sensitive situations. Engaging content must still direct audiences toward accurate and useful information.
Fourth, institutions should regularly evaluate how audiences respond to their content. Future research could involve audiences directly and measure service understanding, trust, perceptions, engagement, and intentions to use a service. Such approaches could help determine which communication strategies work best for different groups.
Hafiz’s discussion also emphasizes that institutional image is shaped not only by official statements but also by how services are explained and presented to the public. Nevertheless, because the study focuses on qualitative analysis, its findings cannot establish the magnitude of each strategy’s effect on public opinion.
Overall, the article shows that public service communication requires a balance between clear information, emotional connection, and audience engagement. In the context of Polri 110, combining these approaches supports communication that presents the service as informative, responsive, humane, and accessible.
Author Profile
Hamzah Hafiz is affiliated with the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Universitas Muhammadiyah Jakarta, Indonesia. His article examines public service communication strategies on social media, particularly the communication of the Polri 110 service and its relationship to institutional image. The available article information does not specify his academic degree or a more detailed field of expertise.
Research Source
Hamzah Hafiz. “Strategy for Communicating the POLRI 110 Service Message by the POLRI Public Relations Division through Instagram @DIVISHUMASPOLRI to Maintain the Image of the POLRI.” Indonesian Journal of Advanced Research (IJAR), Volume 5, Number 9, 2026, pp. 1845–1858.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijar.v5i9.17326
Official journal website: https://journal.formosapublisher.org/index.php/ijar
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