Makassar City Government Uses Social Media as Public Early Warning System

The Makassar City Government in South Sulawesi is utilising social media as an early warning system through the Lontara+ ecosystem, an application designed to strengthen public services, government communications, and data-driven decision-making. Muhammad Roem, Head of the Makassar Communication and Informatics Office, stated on Friday that social media is no longer merely a conventional, one-way public relations channel but a vital space for rapidly reading public dynamics. “Social media is no longer just a place for the government to convey information, but acts as a city’s social sensor, as an early warning system to capture complaints, input, and dynamics developing in the community,” he said. He emphasised that this approach allows the government to detect potential issues early, so that any matter can be addressed before it develops into a larger public communication crisis. The Makassar city government is also paying special attention to local information accounts that have significant influence in shaping public opinion. He noted that these accounts should not only be seen as a challenge but can also become strategic partners in expanding the government’s information reach. “In every city, local information accounts have extraordinary influence. Therefore, what we are building is a shared perception within the government, so that all regional apparatus organisations have a uniform perspective and response to the information dynamics emerging in the digital space,” he said. Through this approach, the Makassar City Government is striving to build a more collaborative communication pattern between the government, the community, and the local digital ecosystem. One method is by leveraging the power of social media to convey information about public facilities, city services, and priority government programmes. He noted that the digital ecosystem also helps the Makassar City Government mitigate potential pros and cons regarding public policies. With more open and trust-based communication, new policies can be better received by the public. By participating in the XVIII APEKSI National Working Meeting Communication and Informatics Forum 2026, the Makassar City Government demonstrated its commitment to strengthening digital governance, improving the quality of public communication, and delivering services that are more adaptive to the needs of urban communities. The forum also served as a space for sharing best practices among city governments in Indonesia to build information resilience, strengthen government communication capacity, and encourage more responsive public services in the digital era.