Social Media Use in Crisis Communication Management: An Opportunity for Local Communities?

Author(s):  
Rocio Zamora Medina ◽  
Jose Carlos Losada Diaz
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Rasmussen ◽  
Øyvind Ihlen

Abstract The literature on social media use in risk and crisis communication is growing fast, and it is time to take stock before looking forward. A review of 200 empirical studies in the area shows how the literature is indeed increasing and focusing on particular social media plat forms, users, and phases from risk to crisis relief. However, although spanning 40 countries, a large proportion of the world’s social media users are under-represented in the research. In addition, little attention is given to the question of who is actually reached through social media, and the effects of the digital divide are rarely discussed. This article suggests that more attention is given to the questions of equal access to information and ICTs, complementary media channels, and cultural diversity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2 (40)) ◽  
pp. 45-69
Author(s):  
Beryl EHONDOR ◽  
Christiana UNAKALAMBA

Several scholars have studied social media use for crisis com- munication. However, few studies have been carried out to investigate so- cial media deployment during a public health crisis, such as the Corona- virus outbreak. This study accessed public awareness and engagement of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)’s social media use for crisis communications during the Coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria. It also as- sessed the influence of communication towards public positive behavioural adjustments. The study data was gathered via a survey of 400 citizens and Facebook users and analysed using excel and SPSS. The study found public awareness of the NCDC social media communications during the outbreak; there was also a public behavioural adjustment to NCDC’s recommended preventive behaviours. However, there was a low engagement in NCDC’s crisis communication via Facebook. The study reveals a high level of public uncertainty about NCDC Facebook communications and a change in public opinion about the Coronavirus. This study concludes that this situation could result from competing information about the Coronavirus on social media during the COVID outbreak and recommended further studies in this area. Findings are helpful for health communication policy reviews, strategic crisis communication assessments, appraisal of similar agencies, and further research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glen Finau ◽  
John Cox ◽  
Jope Tarai ◽  
Romitesh Kant ◽  
Renata Varea ◽  
...  

This article presents an analysis of how social media was used during Tropical Cyclone Winston, the strongest recorded tropical storm that left a wake of destruction and devastation in Fiji during February 2016. Social media is increasingly being used in crises and disasters as an alternative form of communication. Social media use in crisis communication varies according to the context, the disaster and the maturity of social media use. Fiji’s experience during TC Winston contributes to the growing literature as it shows how social media was used during each stage of a disaster in a developing country. The article finds that before the cyclone, people used social media to share information about the cyclone and to be informed about the cyclone. During the cyclone, individuals used social media to share their experiences with some citizens capturing the cyclone as it happened and even one citizen live-tweeted her ordeal during the cyclone. Finally, following the cyclone, the hashtag #StrongerThanWinston was coined as a rallying point to bolster a sense of national solidarity.


Author(s):  
Tuong-Minh Ly-Le

<p>Despite the emergence of social media in many aspects of Vietnamese lives, including marketing and promotional activities, Vietnamese organizations have used little social media in their crisis communication efforts. The organizations are hesitant to adopt social media in crisis communication and prefer to use traditional media because of its controllability and professionalism. However, with the increasing number of organizational crises that started on social media in the past years, it is arguably that Vietnamese stakeholders use social media as one of their main communication channels during crises. Should the organizations use social media in response? Through a series of interviews to PR practitioners and stakeholders in Vietnam, this research aims to find out the similarities and gaps in the perception of social media use for crisis communication between these two groups, and to guide a crisis communication practice that is appreciated by stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Bahasa Indonesia Abstrak: </strong>Meskipun<em> munculnya media sosial dalam banyak aspek kehidupan Vietnam, termasuk kegiatan pemasaran dan promosi, organisasi Vietnam telah menggunakan sedikit media sosial dalam upaya komunikasi krisis mereka. Organisasi ragu-ragu untuk mengadopsi media sosial dalam komunikasi krisis dan lebih suka menggunakan media tradisional karena pengendalian dan profesionalisme. Namun, dengan meningkatnya jumlah krisis organisasi yang dimulai di media sosial dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, dapat dibilang bahwa pemangku kepentingan Vietnam menggunakan media sosial sebagai salah satu saluran komunikasi utama mereka selama krisis. Haruskah organisasi menggunakan media sosial sebagai jawaban? Melalui serangkaian wawancara kepada praktisi PR dan pemangku kepentingan di Vietnam, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui persamaan dan kesenjangan dalam persepsi penggunaan media sosial untuk komunikasi krisis antara kedua kelompok ini, dan untuk memandu praktik komunikasi krisis yang dihargai oleh para pemangku kepentingan. .</em></p>


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 110-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyungwoo Kim ◽  
Kyujin Jung ◽  
Kenneth Chilton

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the effects of social media use on the resilience of organizations involved in emergency response. While social media has been utilized as a critical tool in the field of emergency management, few researchers have systemically examined its effect on organizations’ capacity to bounce back from catastrophic events. From the dimensional approach to social media use, this research focuses on the following three functions: providing information to local communities, transmitting information to local communities, and responding to the emotions of local communities. Design/methodology/approach The authors used survey data gleaned from 79 key organizations involved in emergency management to investigate the impact of social media use on resilience after a tragic flood in Seoul, South Korea in 2013. The authors also conducted interviews with ten emergency management officials to understand what administrative challenges they confront in using social media for their tasks. Findings The authors found that the provision of disaster information on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube has a positive effect on the perceived level of organizational resilience. In addition, social media use correlates positively with community emotional responses. Research limitations/implications Given the focus on the emergency response to a natural disaster in urban areas, the results might not be generalizable to smaller cities or rural areas. The survey items that measure the perceptions of emergency managers may not represent the physical aspects of disaster recovery, such as the restoration of housing stock. Practical implications The findings suggest that public and nonprofit organizations can use social media to communicate with other organizations and the public in ways that demonstrate resilience. Emergency managers should address administrative challenges, such as trustworthiness of information delivered via social media and lack of personnel. Originality/value This paper provides systematic understandings of the effects of social media use on the resilience of the organizations that respond to a disaster.


2013 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seong Eun Cho ◽  
Kyujin Jung ◽  
Han Woo Park

This article explores social media use during Japan's 2011 earthquake. In the era of social media, this earthquake provides an opportunity for analysing the role of communication during a crisis. To explain how social media use transforms the locus of crisis communication, we collected sufficient data on tweets in Japan from the Twitter public timeline during the earthquake and examined the Japanese government's Twitter account and its URLs. The results indicate that crisis communication on Twitter was led by peer-to-peer communication and relied on peer-generated information. In addition, the government's traditional leadership role in exercising tight control over crises and facilitating disaster communication was not clearly apparent on Twitter. By examining the shift in the locus of crisis communication through social media, this study provides new insights into the current use of social media.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document