WhatsApp as a government communication tool: the case of the Spanish Government's new official channel

Abstract

Messaging applications have increasingly been incorporated into government communication, allowing institutions to reach citizens directly. In March 2025, the Spanish Government launched an official WhatsApp channel. This article analyses its initial stage in order to identify usage patterns, types of communication, predominant formats and user reactions. The methodology used is based on a content analysis applied to all the channel's posts during its first five months of activity (N=281). Variables related to frequency and posting times, types of communication, formats, areas of government involved, multimedia resources, current affairs, presence of political leaders and volume of reactions were coded. The results show an average rate of almost two posts per day, with peaks during times of crisis such as the power outage in April. Service messages and public policy messages predominate, followed by crisis messages and legitimacy messages. The most frequent formats are bulletins, reminders and explanatory messages, supported by creative content and videos linked to official sources. Presidency accounts for more than a third of posts, followed by social and ecological transition ministries, while some areas, such as Industry and Tourism, do not appear. 21% of posts include references to political leaders, with President Pedro Sánchez featuring prominently. Emoji-based engagement signals focus on issues of humanitarian aid, equality and accountability. In conclusion, the channel is configured as an institutional instrument geared towards public service and policy explanation, with crisis response capacity and a moderate degree of personalisation. Its consolidation requires maintaining standards of neutrality, transparency and traceability that reinforce citizen confidence.