Digital Synergy in Urban Image Building: Surabaya City Government and @info_surabaya on Instagram

Avin Nur Aini

Authors

Avin Nur Aini Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel, Surabaya

Abstract

City image is increasingly shaped by social-media communication, yet less is known about how local governments coordinate with independent community accounts to produce credible and accessible urban narratives. This study examines the digital communication strategy through which the Surabaya City Government and the Instagram community @info_surabaya collaborate to build Surabaya's city image. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Data were collected through interviews with five purposively selected government and community informants, non-participant observation of Instagram content and collaborative activities, and documentation. Data were condensed, displayed, and interpreted through an interactive analysis model and source and technique triangulation. The collaboration operated as partial digital synergy: the government supplied verified information, issue briefs, event access, and institutional legitimacy, while @info_surabaya contributed speed, creative adaptation, and community reach. Success depended on shared communication goals, complementary roles, rapid reciprocal response, message consistency, and two-way interaction. The main constraints were different work rhythms, uneven public-relations capacity, and contrasting bureaucratic and community cultures. Digital synergy can make local-government communication more adaptive and socially proximate, but this study does not measure causal changes in public image. Formal coordination protocols and outcome-based evaluation are needed to sustain the partnership.

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