Abstract

In additional to the traditional management strategies and tools, government require an understanding of the tools that facilitate government communication, enable public support, and most importantly influence public behavior and implement public compliance with rules and regulations. Public relations techniques may be used to help driving widespread public trust and confidence and raising some issues at high level of public interest and attention.

Drawing on agenda-building research, this thesis aims to create a concept of governmental social responsibility in Ajman government and interduce a new policy and identify clear elements in its social responsibility framework to be reflected in all what it is published.

The main objective of the study is to consider Ajman Government Social Responsibility from agenda-building perspective by exploring the cases of fire and water contamination (2016 -2019). The sub-objectives are: (1) To examine the elements of social responsibility covered by Ajman government press releases during the case of fire (2016-2019) and (2) To examine the elements of social responsibility covered by Ajman government press releases during the case water contamination.

The main questions addressed by the research are: (1) What are the elements of Government social responsibility that Ajman government implemented in its press releases (the case of fire and water contamination) and what made them salient? (2) To what extent did the media coverage reflect and match the elements highlighted in the press releases issued by Ajman government?

The thesis attempts to answer these questions using a content analysis. A sample of 9 Press releases (issued by Ajman government) and 14 news articles (covered by local newspapers) for both fire and water contamination cases were analyzed using Carroll’s CSR pyramid and Cobb and Elder dimensions as a reference for analysis.

Findings highlight that the press releases issued by Ajman government and the news coverage performed by the local newspapers are identical in the most published news, with some differences and slight additions in some newspapers that had interviewing the affected people themselves directly and independently, besides the presence of Carroll's items in the press releases and the emergence of Cobb and Elder's dimensions in those items, gave the press releases more importance as it affected the agenda of the local newspapers and made it a priority in media agenda.

Keywords: Public relations, government social responsibility, agenda-building, press releases, media agenda