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Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Internet Communication, Geographic Community, and Social Capital in Crisis
Abstract
This study investigated Internet communication and use in a crisis situation, Hurricane Katrina, to explore the role of the Internet in supporting or diminishing geographically- based community during a crisis. The researchers conducted an online survey of Internet users (n � /1192) from the dispersed metropolitan New Orleans area. The survey focused on amount, type, function, and importance of Internet use to creating and maintaining social capital, supporting geographically-based communities, activating social networks, reducing uncertainty, and achieving both expressive and instrumental communication goals. The results indicated that Internet users in a crisis situation went online to seek interactive fora specific to their neighborhoods and to activate weak ties in their social networks. They engaged in more uncertainty reduction behavior when experiencing higher degrees of damage. They turned to the Internet in place of other media as a result of disruptions caused by the crisis. Women valued online expressive communication more than men did. The findings suggest that social capital theorists would benefit from a communication perspective on the Internet. The study also led to the formation of suggestions for emergency preparedness agencies, shelter providers, crisis victims, and online news providers that can improve emergency response.
... Neuwirth et al. (2000) applied Protection Motivation Theory to the context of mass media reports about a hazard and found that the severity of a hazard's consequences increased interest in receiving more information about the hazard. Likewise, Procopio and Procopio (2007) found a positive relationship between the degree of damage during Hurricane Katrina and uncertainty reduction behaviors; particularly, individuals in more damaged areas engaged in more information seeking behaviors online than those from less damaged areas. More recent studies related to natural disasters have also suggested that threat appraisal may increase information seeking and result in more protective action taking (Okazaki et al., 2015). ...
... In fact, research suggests that those who are more involved in a disaster (e.g. people in more affected areas) turn to sources for local or location-specific information (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Furthermore, perceived severity and involvement, or threat appraisal, have been shown to affect emotional responses in individuals during hurricane response (e.g. ...
... Traditional news is often a primary source for disaster information (Austin et al., 2012). However, various physical and psychological needs resulting from a crisis/disaster lead people to concurrently use multiple media channels from different sources (Procopio & Procopio, 2007;Stephens & Malone, 2009) including a mix of traditional news, governmental websites, interpersonal communication channels, and social media (Austin et al., 2012). Traditional news, such as broadcast and newspaper outlets, are sought for credible updates in a crisis (Austin et al., 2012;Schultz et al., 2011). ...
Those affected by catastrophic events like hurricanes are burdened with the task of preparing for and responding to the threats of harm in addition to dealing with the emotionally taxing process of consuming and sharing disaster-related information. However, little is known about how threats and emotions during natural disasters impact media usage for information seeking and sharing. This study examined the relationship between the perceived threat of disasters (including disaster severity and involvement recognition), negative emotions, and information seeking and forwarding/sharing via different types of media. We surveyed over 600 adults in U.S. counties impacted by Hurricane Florence in 2018. Our findings show that negative crisis emotions mediated the relationship between threat appraisals and information seeking and sharing behaviors. In our discussion, we suggest how disaster/emergency communication professionals can prepare and respond to disasters by knowing how emotions influence individuals’ communicative behaviors.
... Several studies have highlighted the effective use of social media for crisis communication (Liu & Kim, 2011;Procopio & Procopio, 2007;Sweetser & Metzgar, 2007). ...
... Through these studies, scholars have found that the public perceives social media as a more credible source of information during a crisis (Procopio & Procopio, 2007;Sweetser & Metzgar, 2007). The link between social media and crisis communication is growing in popularity among researchers. ...
This study uses a netnography approach to explore why brand publics engage in passionate discourse about a Black-owned business on social media, especially during a crisis. It analyzes 2463 comments posted in response to an Instagram video statement shared by the Black founder and CEO of the Honey Pot Company during a 2022 crisis. The findings reveal that Honey Pot’s most vocal brand publics were Black women and members of the broader Black community. Their passionate engagement is rooted in several factors: 1) a belief that the products were made specifically for them using high-quality natural ingredients, 2) a commitment to supporting Black-owned businesses and ethnic solidarity, 3) deep-seated fears and historical trauma associated with harmful products marketed to the Black community, and 4) a need to hold individuals accountable. Based on the analysis, this unique study reveals four key drivers of passion: product-based passion, identity-based passion, historical trauma-based passion, and accountability-based passion. The study contributes to the public relations literature on passionate publics by illustrating how Honey Pot’s brand publics formed a passionate online community to call for accountability, express ethnic solidarity, and advocate for change.
... Despite significant IT security investments, organizations have been experiencing an increasing number of data breaches each year. The number of exposed records in the United States in 2022 reached 22 billion [65], and the average cost of data breaches was $9.44 million, the highest of all time [39]. Data breaches also result in reputation and revenue loss for breached companies [24,47,83], and stakeholders tend to react negatively in response to a data breach [16,50,29]. ...
... With the proliferation of social media platforms and the increasing use of social media apps and websites, the role of social media after a crisis has become salient. Individuals tend to use social media during a crisis because they believe that social media provides an unfiltered, up-to-date line of communication [65] and offers unique information that individuals are not able to find elsewhere [2,8]. Mass communication research also indicates that a higher intensity of media discussion about a topic can affect individuals more because environmental influences can explain human behavior [5]. ...
Companies adopt response strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of data breaches. While prior research has examined the efficacy of these strategies, it is unclear whether companies must employ the same strategy for all breaches. Given that each response strategy demands varying levels of resources, optimizing resource allocation is crucial for companies to adopt costly strategies only when necessary. Utilizing situational crisis communication theory, we investigate how stakeholders assign different levels of responsibility to companies based on the specific attributes of each data breach and assess the severity of these events. Additionally, we discuss the critical role of effective communication post-data breaches and utilize social-mediated crisis communication to examine how organizations effectively communicate with their stakeholders. We conduct a multi-method study to investigate two primary stakeholders, namely customers and investors, with respect to organizational responsibility and communication. Study 1 employs a factorial survey (n = 849) with a 2 x 2 x 2 experimental design to analyze customer behavior. For Studies 2 and 3, we collect official data breach response letters to analyze 307 data breaches from 2006 to 2022. Study 2 investigates company sales data to understand customer behavior further. In Study 3, we conduct an event study and analyze stock market data to examine investor behavior. We find that stakeholders react to data breaches based on specific characteristics that reflect the organization’s responsibility and how incidents are communicated. Furthermore, customers and investors interpret the same data breaches differently. For example, locus of causality and controllability matter only to customers, and only investors turn to social media platforms (e.g., Twitter) to gather additional information about data breaches alongside company announcements. For research and practice, the findings of three studies collectively suggest a data breach-response match, highlighting the importance of situationally appropriate responses rather than always adopting costly, superior strategies (e.g., compensation). The findings also emphasize the need for companies to strategically plan their post-breach communication, as the source and form of data breach announcements affect stakeholders.
... Studies have examined the use of ICT in the coordination of emergency relief efforts [13], the provision of ICT-enabled administrative services for citizens [14], access to health-related information and emergency services [15], how the use of mobile devices and the internet can help excluded populations integrate into society [16], behaviors related to reaching out to diverse family and friends for emotional support during crises and disasters [17,18], and information sharing [19]. There is growing evidence that ICT is utilized to close communication gaps [20,21]. In particular, the use of social media and its analysis has yielded benefits in the field of disaster management [22][23][24]. ...
... Individuals often need a place to communicate and share information with others if the level of damage caused by a disaster is significant. Social media can help with these processes [21,66,67]. In the midst of and following a disaster, individuals will be seeking reassurance that their loved ones who may be in the impacted region are safe. ...
This study aimed to explore how community disaster resilience can be enhanced via the utilization of ICT resources. Three social media applications were selected. Taking the 2021 Zhengzhou 7.20 rainstorm as an example, questionnaire responses were collected and analyzed, and a linear regression model was constructed to explore the impact of the relationships between responses. The findings showed that the use of WeChat, TikTok, and Weibo had positive effects on community disaster resilience. Specifically, the use of social media (WeChat, TikTok, and Weibo) by the general public during this rainstorm disaster was positively related to convenience and trust, creation and dissemination, emotion and communication, cooperation and collective action, and relief and release. We also analyzed the differences in the use of the three social media platforms during the rainstorm disaster and found that the number of people who used TikTok was the highest, but the variable scores for TikTok were not the highest. WeChat had the highest variable scores, and both the number of users and variable scores for Weibo were in the middle.
... Social Media has become an important communication channel for emergency agencies [12,13] to manage crises [14]. Social Networks are used during crises for information gathering [15], situation awareness [16,17], maintaining relationships [18], emotional support [19], volunteer coordination [20,21], disseminating relevant information, and providing advice and guidance [22]. For instance, Social Media was widely beneficial during the flood crisis in Queensland in 2011 [23]. ...
... Annual Review of Sociology [2] Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal [3] Public Administration Review [4] International Conference on Information Fusion [8] International Conference on System Safety, Incorporating the Cyber Security Conference [9] European Conference Information System [12] Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management [13,59] Journal of Applied Communication Research [18] IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Homeland Security [20] Information System Frontiers [22,86,167] Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management [24] Public Relations Review [41] Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management [45] International Journal of Strategic Communication [46] International Journal of Information Management [69,161] Computers in Human Behavior [168] European Journal of Information Systems [159] Working Conference on Information Systems and Organisations [57] IEEE Internet of Things Journal [65] Australasian Journal of Information Systems [66,140] Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness [72,74] Natural Hazards [75] Journal of Public Health Management and Practice [76,77] Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management [91] Workshop on Social Media Analytics [80] International Conference on eDemocracy & eGovernment [81] Online Social Networks and Media [94,96] Journal of Economic Perspectives [95] International Workshop on Semantic Evaluation [98] IEEE International Conference on Technologies for Homeland Security [78] Social Science Computer Review [79] MIS Quarterly [83] Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal [84] Communication of the ACM [85] ...
This review proposes a concise literature review aimed at identifying the current body of knowledge on the adoption of Social Networks in crisis management. The major input is a structured research question based on the initial reading about the topic. Before the recent pandemic, most literature focused on local crises, with relatively few exceptions. Additionally, self-organising systems are spontaneously established between people who are affected by a crisis. The fundamental assumption underlying this study is the huge potential of Social Networks in the field of crisis management. That is supported, directly or indirectly, by a number of previous studies, which emphasise how effective adoption leads to better decision-making for crisis managers and local communities. Among the identified challenges is the need to integrate official communication by emergency agencies with citizen-generated content in a contest for credibility and trustworthiness. In certain cases, it has been reported that there is a lack of specific competence, knowledge, and expertise, as well as a lack of sufficient policies and guidelines for the use of Social Networks. Those challenges need to be framed by considering the classic difficulties of providing timely and accurate information to deal with fake news, unverified or misleading information, and information overload. Bridging major gaps through advanced analytics and AI-based technology is expected to provide a key contribution to establishing and safely enabling the practice of effective and efficient communication. This technology can help contrast dissonant mental models, which are often fostered by Social Networks, and enable shared situational awareness. Future research may take a closer look at AI technology and its impact on the role of Social Networks in managing crises.
... Interestingly, the gratification towards social media significantly increases in time of crisis (e.g., COVID-19, Australian bush fire) as viewers perceived social media to be more credible than mass media in such situation (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). In such events, users often seek an unfiltered, unique, and timely line of communication from social media (Bucher, 2002;Procopio & Procopio, 2007). ...
... Interestingly, the gratification towards social media significantly increases in time of crisis (e.g., COVID-19, Australian bush fire) as viewers perceived social media to be more credible than mass media in such situation (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). In such events, users often seek an unfiltered, unique, and timely line of communication from social media (Bucher, 2002;Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Therefore, social media is also be used for emotional support and recovery from crises (Choi & Lin, 2009;Stephens & Malone, 2009). ...
Background: Social media has grown into a prominent marketing and communication tool, and Instagram is a leader in this regard due to its distinctive supports for medial rich contents. Due to the challenges faced by Small-and-medium-enterprises (SMEs), they are suggested to embrace social media technology. Previous studies in Interactive value creation theory (IVF) indicated that SMEs-followers co-creation processes enable Instagram engagement. However, little is known of how to promote the value co-creation process via practical Instagram micro-practices that SMEs can employ regarding their constraints. This study is among the first to examine SMEs' practices for Instagram engagement via the process of value co-creation. Method: We collected data regarding Instagram engagements of 10 Australian SMEs in eight months period using Instagram API. Qualitative analysis is conducted based on 2110 contents in a Poisson regression model. Content analysis and time-series visualizations are employed to investigate the uniqueness of several outliners in the dataset. Results: Findings imply that SMEs should bank on @Tagging instead of #Hashtags to get more engagement as contents with @Tagging show higher levels of inclusiveness and trustworthiness. Also, customized postings for the loci-specific audience effectively encourage followers to participate in conversations, while commercial intensive posting style shows adverse effects due to its low level of credibility. Rich media contents would not necessarily reel in more engagement; the commitment and consistent postings amassed a considerable number of followers over time, leading to a higher engagement rate. Conclusions: This study confirmed the benefits of data scraping in building business intelligence and validate the IVF framework as the theoretical background to investigate the effectiveness of Instagram micro-practices. IVF should be considered in designing social media practices to enable SMEs and followers' collaborations for business value generation. This study provides extra interpretations of the interrelationships between IVF, visual-rich contents, and social media engagement.
... Due to unpredictable, non-routine events, disasters are related to situational uncertainty (Mirbabaie et al. 2022;Mitroff 2004;Sellnow and Seeger 2013). Such uncertainty motivates the affected public to seek locally relevant, up-to-the-minute information (Boyle et al. 2004;Procopio and Procopio 2007). On the one hand, mainstream media plays a critical role in providing general narratives about disaster events but often fails to report the latest information in a timely manner (Oh et al. 2013). ...
... The affected public becomes "information hungry (why are we at risk, do you really mean me, how long do I have, what is it you think I should do, and so on)" (Mileti and Sorensen 1990, pp. 3-8), so they immediately engage in information-seeking to become better aware of the situation (Wood et al. 2015). Procopio and Procopio (2007) observed that people closer to the most damaged areas become more active in information-seeking than those far away from such places. They found that the public experience more uncertainty as they live closer to damaged areas. ...
Communication is a purposeful process, especially during disasters, when emergency management officials and citizen journalists attempt to disseminate relevant information to as many affected people as possible. X (previously Twitter), a popular computer-mediated communication (CMC) platform, has become an essential resource for disaster information given its ability to facilitate real-time communication. Past studies on disasters have mainly concentrated on the verbal-linguistic conventions of words and hashtags as the means to convey disaster-related information. Little attention has been given to non-verbal linguistic cues, such as emojis. In this study, we investigate the use of emojis in disaster communication on X by using uncertainty reduction theory as the theoretical framework. We measured information uncertainty in individual tweets and assessed whether information conveyed in external URLs mitigated such uncertainty. We also examined how emojis affect information uncertainty and information dissemination. The statistical results from analyzing tweets related to the 2018 California Camp Fire disaster show that information uncertainty has a negative impact on information dissemination, and the negative impact was amplified when emojis depicted items and objects instead of facial expressions. Conversely, external URLs reduced the negative impact. This study sheds light on the influence of emojis on the dissemination of disaster information on X and provides insights for both academia and emergency management practitioners in using CMC platforms.
... During a disaster, social media gives power to the users at the expense of the organization or the other party in crisis (Kirkham & Muthaly, 2015). This implies that social media audience increases and perceives social media to be more credible than traditional media (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). In this way, the media landscape is fast changing; therefore, the nature, style, tone, and medium of communication with the audience must change in a crisis. ...
... On the empirical plane, studies reveal that the public tends to use social media in crisis because of convenience, perceived function (Austin et al., 2012), and credibility (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Moreover, mainstream media itself is a source for information on social media, and journalist sourcing for news on social media during a crisis is on the increase; this may increase social media's direct or indirect effects on audience (Austin et al., 2012). ...
Crisis, natural or man-made, is inevitable in our life because of human social interactions. Crises are caused by ineffective communication yet are better solved with effective communication. Scholars have studied social media's role in crisis management as an information propagator and their cost effectiveness during a crisis. Social media can potentially influence multiple public strata during and after the crisis. Social media serves as tools for relationship management which is a crucial part of crisis management; equally, public relations also serve the same. This paper explores how effective crisis communication management can be achieved via Social Networking Systems (SNS). Drawing from the existing literature as the method used, this paper reviews articles and studies on public relations strategy and effective crisis management. It expounds on examples of how relationships can be well-managed through social media in crises. This paper has increased our knowledge of crisis management by understanding how crises are managed. Findings are that crisis communication was managed from four conceptual lenses scholars have investigated; that crises can be prevented- partially if not completely- with a proper crisis communication plan; that having a crisis communication plan may not suffice except is handled by professional relationship managers who know how to communicate and understand the use of the conventional and new media with the influential role of symmetrical communication. Therefore, the paper concluded that since crisis leads to a bad relationship due to a lack of understanding of the situation and behavior and to facilitate this, it suggests that crisis is better managed through effective public relations managers.
... Several studies investigate the impact of different sources and perceptions of online information on crisis management (Al-Omoush et al., 2020;Austin et al., 2012;Gruber et al., 2015;Hagar, 2013;Kahlor et al., 2020;Roy et al., 2020). With the advent of the internet and social media, much of the crisis information is disseminated and consumed through online means, may it be online news, blogs, social media, and different interactive dashboards (Procopio & Procopio, 2007;Ristvej & Zagorecki, 2011;Sweetser & Metzgar, 2007). For instance, Tran and Lee (2016) found that in any severe outbreak such as bird flu, Ebola, and SARS, people get information and share information using social media. ...
... During a crisis such as COVID-19 as people are getting information from many online sources, it is important for the government and health agencies to find a suitable mechanism to disseminate the information for better effectiveness. Research has found that people prefer interactive online platforms over static media for information dissemination, particularly during a crisis or disaster (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Schultz et al., (2011) report that using certain technologies influences crisis communication because of the technology itself and user experiences and interpretation of that media technology. ...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a plethora of online sources for information and news dissemination have emerged. Extant research suggests that very quickly, individuals become disinterested and begin avoiding the information. In this study, we investigate how an individual's fear and situational motivation impact Online Information Avoidance. Using the self-determination theory and information avoidance theories, we argue that fear and external regulation are associated with increased Online Information Avoidance. We also argue that intrinsic motivation and identified regulation are associated with a decrease in Online Information Avoidance. Our findings suggest that fear, intrinsic motivation, and external regulation drive Online Information Avoidance, where intrinsic motivation is the most significant driver. We also found that identified regulation is a crucial inhibitor of Online Information Avoidance. While focusing on COVID-19, our study contributes to the broader information systems research literature and specifically to the information avoidance literature during a pandemic or a prolonged crisis. Our study's findings will be useful for governments, health organizations, and communities that utilize online platforms, forums, and related outlets to reach larger audiences for disseminating pertinent information and recommendations during a crisis.
... Therefore, the main function of media is to raise public awareness about risks that are often invisible or remote to most of the population (Roslyng;Eskjaer, 2017). Emerging research studies have showed the various motivations of the publics for crisis information seeking (Austin et al., 2012;Lu;Jin, 2020), emphasizing the needs for additional information, receiving timely and unfiltered information, learning about the magnitude of a crisis, checking on family/friends, mobilizing, connecting with a community, and fostering emotional support during crises (Fraustino;Liu;Jin, 2017), and providing an unfiltered, up-to-date line of communication (Procopio;Procopio, 2007;Tai;Sun, 2007). ...
... Therefore, the main function of media is to raise public awareness about risks that are often invisible or remote to most of the population (Roslyng;Eskjaer, 2017). Emerging research studies have showed the various motivations of the publics for crisis information seeking (Austin et al., 2012;Lu;Jin, 2020), emphasizing the needs for additional information, receiving timely and unfiltered information, learning about the magnitude of a crisis, checking on family/friends, mobilizing, connecting with a community, and fostering emotional support during crises (Fraustino;Liu;Jin, 2017), and providing an unfiltered, up-to-date line of communication (Procopio;Procopio, 2007;Tai;Sun, 2007). ...
The present research paper examines how Moroccan political public authorities’ communication strategies influence Moroccan male and female publics’ feedback, and the perception of government’s crisis response strategies in light of a new atmosphere, a new condition at the pandemic time of the coronavirus Covid-19. By collecting data from 132 Moroccan internet users via online survey, which was conducted between May and June, 2020, after the declaration of the state of emergency, the present study gathered concrete information and viewpoints regarding Moroccan male and female internet users’ feedback about political leaders’ communication strategies; trust in different sources and media channels, and perception of the Moroccan political leaders’ crisis communication management. The findings of the study have revealed that younger male and female publics, who got news from social media, had negative views of authority messages, and expressed more negative opinions of the government’s crisis response and communication strategies as weeks went by. Therefore, trust in public authorities’ decreased as the crisis evolves. Other age group, 60 years or older of the respondents get information about the crisis from institutional political sources and mainstream news media, which have been more aligned with authorities’ information at the start of the health crisis. In addition, women have used multiple media platforms, but they have less direct access to information than do men. While some progress has been made in women’s political use of information and news consumption during the outbreak on social media, on the overall, the participation of women in both feedback and news consumption is still very limited in Morocco.
... During disasters, virtual communities are often created or appropriated to seek and provide disaster-related information. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005 (Procopio and Procopio 2007), the Sichuan earthquake in 2008 (Nan and Lu 2014), Cyclone Yasi in 2011 (Taylor et al. 2012), the Christchurch earthquake in 2011 (Bunker et al. 2013), the Thailand flood in 2011 (Leong et al. 2015) and Hurricane Maria in 2017 (Wyk and Starbird 2020), virtual communities were used by disaster victims to share and gather reliable information. ...
During a disaster, many people seek information from virtual communities. However, information overload, falsehoods and unrelated topics hinder information flow in virtual communities, putting disaster victims at risk. Given many disasters are generally of a short duration, we explore how virtual communities can quickly reconfigure themselves to respond effectively to a disaster. Drawing on risk society theory, our findings suggest reconfiguration is done via a series of cycles initially involving community members and subsequently featuring both community members and moderators working together to mitigate risks. We contribute to virtual community discourse on disaster response by showing how a virtual community can configure IT features to bring about change. Practically, we find transforming a virtual community from a normal to a disaster response mode requires (1) creating a controlled information hub, (2) promoting identity revelation and (3) allowing for temporary emergent hyperlocal leadership. While earlier IS research suggests that anonymity, openness and geographical dispersion are important for information dissemination in virtual communities, we suggest these practices may need to be changed during a disaster.
... Moreover, studies investigated how risk characteristics such as the public's physical proximity to the hazard source (e.g., Bateman & Edwards, 2002;Heath et al., 1998) and the perceived severity of disaster scenarios can affect risk communication and public acceptance (e.g., Baker, 1995;Paton et al., 2008). Along with works elaborating upon these aspects, the 2000s witnessed an expansion of research interests toward understanding how publics with different information requirements may respond differently to risks compared to the general public (e.g., McComas, 2010;Sanders Thompson et al., 2008) and the role of media in educating the public about risks (e.g., Kent, 2010;Procopio & Procopio, 2007). ...
Risk communication and information disclosure regarding chemical accidents entail the provision of relevant information to communities potentially affected by such incidents. This enables communities to comprehend the hazards and risks associated with nearby hazardous installations and to take appropriate actions during emergencies. This aspect of community preparedness is crucial in the context of technological accidents caused by natural hazards, often involving the release of hazardous materials. Such Natech risks have garnered considerable attention from both researchers and practitioners in the field of risk communication.
Over the years, there has been a concerted effort by disaster risk researchers and practitioners to foster a cooperative environment between institutions and communities based on principles of transparency and effective communication. The turn of the century witnessed an increasing focus on Natech risks, with high-profile events such as the Kocaeli earthquake in Turkey (1999), Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the United States (2004), and the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami coupled with the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident (2011). These events heightened academic interest in Natech risks and spurred research efforts into their identification, assessment, and management. As the systemic challenges, uncertainties, and complexities of managing Natech accident risks became apparent, the academic field of risk communication expanded its focus. Research evolved from examining risk perception, household evacuation behavior, and disaster preparedness to encompass broader topics such as risk-informed decision-making through transparency and community engagement.
Despite the establishment of regulatory frameworks like the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act in the United States and the Seveso Directives in the European Union, international organizations emphasize the need for further advancements in chemical accident risk information disclosure. Initiatives advocating for the right to know highlight the importance of community preparedness and empowerment in addressing chemical accidents. Analysis of regulatory frameworks governing chemical and Natech risk management and communication can provide valuable insights into global practices. Issues concerning citizen participation and entitlement to information have become increasingly important in disaster risk management studies.
Going forward, there is a need for additional research to understand the perspectives of stakeholders involved in Natech risk and to assess the impact of their interactions on perceptions and behaviors. A nuanced understanding of how individuals seek and exchange information regarding Natech risk, as well as the effects of different communication channels on disaster preparedness behavior, is essential. Moreover, there is still much to explore in terms of community perceptions and communication strategies concerning Natech risks. The disclosure of chemical and Natech risk information raises significant ethical considerations regarding community preparedness, warranting rigorous academic scrutiny. By adopting a multifaceted approach encompassing scholarly inquiry, ethical deliberation, and practical engagement, the discourse on Natech risk communication can significantly advance societal resilience against emergent threats.
... The more the Internet is used for information or social needs, the more digital information sources will help community members cope with crises [39]. In terms of community communication, Internet users in crisis situations go online to seek interaction with specific communities, which is conducive to creating and maintaining social capital [40]. In disaster prevention and relief, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud-based collaborative platforms play an important role in extreme weather and emergency situations [41]. ...
(1) Background: With the acceleration of globalization, various risks are intertwined and coupled, and community emergency management is facing greater pressure than before. The continuous development of digital technology has made it possible to empower community emergency management with digital technology. Therefore, it is urgent to have a clear understanding of the research status and future development direction of digital empowering community emergency management. (2) Methods: This study is based on the Web of Science database and utilizes the CiteSpace knowledge graph visualization method to analyze the research progress of community digital emergency management. (3) Results: The results indicate that from 2000 to 2024, the amount of research on community digital emergency management has been on the rise, involving multiple disciplines, but there has not been a close and mature cooperation network between different countries, institutions, and authors. The research topic has shifted from early single-emergency management to integration with emerging science and technology, with a greater emphasis on the role of communities. Big data, machine learning, technological innovation, digital healthcare, and community resilience are important research directions for the future. (4) Conclusions: In the future, we should strengthen cooperation in this field, overcome issues such as the digital divide and digital security, and promote further development of community digital emergency management.
... Second, a practical implication was also derived. As stated above, information behaviors are essential components of public responses during public health crises' outbreak (Chon & Park, 2021;Procopio & Procopio, 2007). However, through the findings of this study, the importance of individuals' communicative behaviors was related to a somewhat more substantial and essential behavioral reaction to vaccination against the pandemic. ...
This study focused on the role of Americans’ communication about COVID-19 vaccines, and its potential associations with two significant vaccine determinants. Two studies informed by the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) were conducted. In the first, the researchers incorporated the intention to receive vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine-specific knowledge into STOPS to examine the associations among these three key variables. The second study introduced a new variable, trust in science/scientists, as a potential conceptual variable that functions together with vaccine knowledge to explain why Americans’ intentions to receive COVID-19 vaccines increased despite their imperfect knowledge about them. Two online surveys were distributed using Amazon Mechanical Turk (Study 1) and Qualtrics (Study 2). The first was administered from December 18 through 22 of 2020, and the second from December 18 through 29 of 2020. An enhanced level of communicative action with respect to COVID-19 vaccines decreased the accuracy of knowledge about the vaccines, which increased the intention to receive these vaccines (Study 1). A significant interaction was also found between COVID-19 vaccine knowledge and participants’ levels of trust in science/scientists on study participants’ future intention to receive COVID-19 vaccines (Study 2). Contrary to previous findings, Americans’ increased activeness in COVID-19 vaccine-specific communication was associated negatively with vaccine knowledge, which in turn, increased COVID-19 vaccination intentions. This negative association reflects the complex and unique nature of information environments with respect to COVID-19 vaccines. Trust in science/scientists served as a significant missing conceptual variable that shed light on the paradoxical finding.
... This has far-reaching implications for global health. Fake news has the ability to obstruct evidence-based solutions and undermine scientific understanding Project, 2006), and they may regard it as a more trustworthy source of information than traditional media (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Since 2000, social media misinformation has been pervasive in many facets of infectious disease epidemics, including disease control and prevention (Chowdhury, Khalid, & Turin, 2023). ...
Dengue outbreaks have become a common occurrence in South Asian countries, including Bangladesh. It has caused widespread concern among people from all walks of life. Various misinformation about dengue proliferates among people, mainly through social media platforms. The project was designed to investigate the performance of generative AIs in detecting dengue-related disinformation. In this study, two famous generative AIs were chosen to explore the performance of generative AI in detecting dengue-related misinformation: ChatGPT and Google Bard. These AI platforms were given widely distributed misinformation about dengue and asked to determine whether it was accurate or untrue. False information was identified through content analysis of various stories about the dengue outbreak, particularly those circulating on social media platforms. After getting responses from generative AIs, the answers were cross-checked using fact-checkers and public health databases such as WHO and CDC to determine whether the answers were correct or not. This study examined the performance of three AI systems (ChatGPT and Google Bard) in reacting to ten regularly disseminated misconceptions about dengue, particularly on social networking sites. Based on public health database statements (e.g., WHO, CDC) and fact-checker comments, ChatGPT and Google BARD demonstrated promising outcomes in detecting misinformation and presenting factual information. Dengue outbreaks have become common in developing nations such as Bangladesh, and spreading dengue-related misinformation has become commonplace. While it is known that generative AI systems have inherent limitations and may not always excel at dealing with complex real-world circumstances, they have shown promise in terms of consistent answers and performance in the public health sector. More studies in this field are needed to realize the full promise of AI chatbots in these sectors.
... In recent years, social media have evolved from being merely a passive source of information to becoming an emergency management tool capable of distributing real-time alert information, receiving requests for assistance, and creating situational awareness based on user activities (Lindsay, 2011). Additionally, social media can provide an opportunity to express emotions about events, express concern for those affected, and commemorate and memorialise those who have lost their lives in an event (Xiao et al., 2015;Procopio and Procopio, 2007;Hughes et al., 2008;Houston et al., 2014). Alexander (2014), in their analysis, emphasises the critical role of social media in disaster communication, involving various stakeholders such as communities, governments, organisations, and individuals. ...
... On the other hand, offline social capital, akin to physical networks and emergency response systems, is crucial for strengthening connections among community members and mobilizing collective crisis management action efficiently in a physical community. In contrast, online social capital plays a role in establishing networks among community members at relatively longer distances, creating virtual channels for exchanging information and resources to support each other during crises (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). ...
Scholars have gradually shifted efforts to understand the COVID‐19 crisis renewal stage. Viewing a gap in college communities' knowledge regarding COVID‐19 renewal, this study drew upon the extended theoretical model of communal coping and explored college students' stressor coping in back‐to‐campus situations. Results of an online survey (N = 460) across nine US universities, first, supported the presence of communal coping in such a situation. Second, universities' transparent communication benefited students' communal coping appraisal, while online and offline bonding social capital boosted communal coping action; both the appraisal and action components positively contributed to student adaptivity, with life satisfaction being associated only with the action dimension. Theoretical and practical implications for interdisciplinary model concretization and public health crisis renewal are discussed.
... [12,13]. During times of crisis, people often turn to their social networks for help with things like information collection, alertness to circumstances, relationship maintenance, emotional support, volunteer coordination, distributing relevant details, and counsel and direction [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]. During the flood catastrophe, for instance, social media was very influential.in ...
In the past three years, social media has had a significant impact on our lives, including crisis management. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of accurate information and exposed the spread of false information. This paper specifically examines the COVID-19 crisis and analyzes relevant literature to provide insights for national authorities and organizations. Utilizing social media data for crisis management poses challenges due to its unstructured nature. To overcome this, the paper proposes a comprehensive method that addresses all aspects of long-term crisis management. This method relies on labeled and structured information for accurate sentiment analysis and classification. An automated approach is presented to annotate and classify tweet texts, reducing manual labeling and improving classifier accuracy. The framework involves generating topics using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and ranking them with a new algorithm for data annotation. The labeled text is transformed into feature representation using Bert embeddings, which can be utilized in deep learning models for categorizing textual data. The primary aim of this paper is to offer valuable insights and resources to researchers studying crisis management through social media literature, with a specific focus on high-accuracy sentiment analysis.
... For example, in the wake of the 2007 mass shootings at Virginia Tech, local people created online groups to grieve with others who experienced losses and then reported that the engagement in those groups helped them feel better (Vicary and Fraley, 2010). Social media can also forge new connections between community members and strengthen neighborhood relationships (Li et al., 2019;Procopio and Procopio, 2007;Talor et al., 2012), which have the potential to stay intact as a form of social capital even after disastrous situations stabilize. However, as long-haul disasters evolve, the newfound uncertainty around everyday life can lead to over-politicization and extremism, as well as create T. Knearem et al. fertile ground for dis/misinformation to spread online. ...
The COVID-19 pandemic brought wide-ranging, unanticipated societal changes as communities rushed to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. In response, mutual aid groups bloomed online across the United States to fill in the gaps in social services and help local communities cope with infrastructural breakdowns. Unlike many previous disasters, the long-haul nature of COVID-19 necessitates sustained disaster relief efforts. In this paper, we conducted an interview study with online mutual aid group administrators to understand how groups facilitated disaster relief, and how disaster relief initiatives developed and maintained over the course of the first year of COVID-19. Our findings suggest that the groups were crucial sources of community-based support for immediate needs, innovated long-term solutions for chronic community issues and grew into a vehicle for justice-centered work. Our insights shed light on the strength of mutual aid as a community capacity that can support communities to collectively be more prepared for future long-haul disasters than they were with COVID-19.
... Likewise, Katz and Rice (2002) proposed that smartphone use was effective during those events because it enabled the immediate transfer of information and helped family and close friends. Other studies focused on natural disasters, such as the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 (Macias, Hilyard, & Freimuth, 2009) and the 2005 Hurricane Katrina (Procopio & Procopio, 2007), during which new media also became highly effective tools in managing the crises, serving authorities, citizens, and small organizations. ...
Second-screen use has attracted significant scholarly attention over the last decade. Although media usage is important during crises, no study has examined second screening in times of violent conflict, when civilians are directly affected. This study examines the role of second-screen usage in Israeli citizens' lives during the May 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis. It focuses on correlations between users' level of concern, their immediate degree of threat (based on their proximity to the warzone), and their usage of a second, new media screen, in addition to televisions. Results indicate that the higher the threat level users faced, the more frequently they used second screens. Furthermore, the intensity of second screening rose with the degree of threat and their accompanying level of concern and cognitive needs. The findings advance our understanding of media's wartime role from the perspective of civilians under threat, indicating that as technology enables people to remain constantly connected and not limit themselves to a single platform, they are likely to take advantage of a wide range of communication options.
... relevant content. Pertamina uses the hashtag #PertaminaPeduli in every upload which shows the company's concern for events or disasters that occur in Indonesia (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Pertamina also took part in providing assistance to victims affected by disasters, in the form of goods and also the #PertaminaPeduli Volunteer team who helped in disaster-affected locations. ...
On March 3 2023, a fire occurred at the Pertamina Plumpang Depot, Koja, North Jakarta. Transparency and good communication regarding Pertamina's responsibilities are important steps in maintaining trust and minimizing negative impacts on the company's reputation.Situational Crisis Communication Theory can be applied in managing communication in crisis situations. The Instagram account @pertamina shows empathy and concern in dealing with the crisis caused by this fire. This article aims to analyze the use of Instagram as a crisis response strategy after the Plumpang Depot fire on March 3 2023, with a focus on the content on the @pertamina account. The qualitative content analysis method was used in this research, with the unit of analysis being content on Instagram @pertamina in the post-Plumpang Depot fire period, namely between the 4th and March 8, 2023. Data collection was carried out through observation of content, including uploads, captions on images, and captions on posts, and there were ten pieces of content studied. In this research, it was found that Pertamina used a crisis response strategy model in the form ofdeal response strategy in responding to the crisis that occurred. The @pertamina Instagram account is used as communication technology that becomes a bridge to the public in dealing with crises with consistency and in accordance with community expectations, such as providing compensation, apologizing and showing regret, without trying to prove the truth or alluding that the crisis originates from factors outside the organization's control
... Social media networks have become an invaluable tool for communication and information-gathering during disasters. As such, analysis of social media data has been used to provide insight on how members of the public gather and retransmit information during disasters (e.g., Procopio and Procopio 2007;Palen et al. 2009). Social media data from public users have also been used to construct disaster narratives, which can help inform how risk perceptions and behaviors change over the course of evolving disasters Demuth et al. 2018;Bica et al. 2023). ...
Common disaster-phase models provide a useful heuristic for understanding how disasters evolve, but they do not adequately characterize the transitions between phases, such as the forecast and warning phase of predictable disasters. In this study, we use tweets posted by professional sources of meteorological information in Florida during Hurricane Irma (2017) to understand how visual risk communication evolves during this transition. We identify four subphases of the forecast and warning phase: the hypothetical threat, actualized threat, looming threat, and impact subphases. Each subphase is denoted by changes in the kinds of visual risk information disseminated by professional sources and retransmitted by the public, which are often driven by new information provided by the U.S. National Weather Service. In addition, we use regression analysis to understand the impact of tweet timing, content, risk visualization and other factors on tweet retransmission across Irma’s forecast and warning phase. We find that cone, satellite, and spaghetti-plot image types are retweeted more, while watch/warning imagery is retweeted less. In addition, manually generated tweets are retweeted more than automated tweets. These results highlight several information needs to incorporate into the current NWS hurricane forecast visualization suite, such as uncertainty and hazard-specific information at longer lead times, and the importance of investigating the effectiveness of different social media posting strategies. Our results also demonstrate the roles and responsibilities that professional sources engage in during these subphases, which builds understanding of disasters by contextualizing the subphases along the transition from long-term preparedness to postevent response and recovery.
Significance Statement
Visual information is an important tool for communicating about evolving tropical cyclone threats. In this study, we investigate the kinds of visualizations posted by professional weather communicators on Twitter during Hurricane Irma (2017) to understand how visual information shifts over time and whether different visuals are more retweeted. We find that visual information shifts substantially in the days before Irma’s impacts, and these shifts are often driven by changes in Irma’s strength or forecast track. Our results show that cone, satellite, and spaghetti-plot visualizations are retweeted more frequently, while watch/warning imagery is retweeted less. These results help us to understand how visual information evolves during predictable disasters, and they suggest ways that visual communication can be improved.
... People experiencing natural disasters would be more often to interact with their families, friends and communities than usual (43). By exchanging information they get with each other, they aim to relieve the feeling of uncertainty (44). Communication overload occurs when other users engage their attention and interfere with what they are currently doing (18). ...
This paper studies the adverse effects and potential mechanisms of social media overload in a rainstorm environment. This paper takes the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) as the theoretical basis to build a model, which mainly reflects social media overload (information overload, communication overload and social overload), social media fatigue and disaster anxiety. The partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method was used to collect 547 valid samples for the study. The final results show that social media fatigue is caused by social media overload, while disaster anxiety is formed by social media fatigue. Social media fatigue partially mediates communication overload and disaster anxiety. This study advances the literature on social media adverse effects research and SSO and provides practical implications to social media users and risk management departments.
... Social Media has become an important communication channel for emergency agencies [11][12] to manage crisis [13]. Social Networks are used during crisis for information gathering [14], situation awareness [15] [16], maintaining relationships [17], emotional support [18], volunteer coordination [19] [20] and disseminating relevant information and providing advice and guidance [21]. For instance, Social Media were widely beneficial during the flood crisis in Queensland 2011 [22]. 2 In this research Social Media is defined within the specific context of crisis management as a socio-technical system that provides real-time information on the crisis and assists in protecting lives and properties [23]. ...
This paper proposes a concise literature review aimed at identifying the current body of knowledge on the adoption of Social Networks in Crisis Management. The major input is a structured research question based on the initial reading around the topic. Before the recent pan-demic, most literature has focused on local crises, with a relatively low number of exceptions. Additionally, self-organizing system are spontaneous established between people who are af-fected by a crisis. Among the identified challenges, there is the need to integrate official commu-nication by emergency agencies with citizen-generated contents in a contest of credibility and trustworthiness. In certain cases, it has been reported a lack of specific competence, knowledge, and expertise, as well as a lack of sufficient policies and guidelines in the use of Social Networks. Those challenges need to be framed by considering the classic difficulties to provide timely and accurate information, to deal with fake news, unverified or misleading information, and infor-mation overload. Bridging major gaps though advanced analytics and AI-based technology is expected to provide a key contribution to establish and safely enable in practice an effective and efficient communication, to contrast dissonant mental models, which are often fostered by Social Networks, and to enable a shared situational awareness.
... Therefore, the more self-restrained among us are less likely to update our profiles following a natural calamity. To ensure they have access to the most recent data with minimal effort (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). As a result, we hypothesize that: ...
People are dependent on Social Media Networks (SMNs) to get in time information about crises. Therefore, emergency managers are interested in how individuals participate in social media networking sites after crises, as well as in how to encourage their participation. Based on the theory of self-determination, this study builds a theoretical model to investigate how various varieties of motivation lead to different kinds of participation in SMNs after a crisis. A survey was conducted after COVID-19, which occurred in China and Europe at the end of December 2019. The 310 data were gathered by a "time-lagged, two-wave survey" and "convenience sampling." According to the findings of this study, autonomous motivation is strongly linked to posting new COVID-19 content, while controlled motivation is significantly linked to commenting on others' COVID-19 content. Moreover, perceived autonomy and perceived relatedness are positively associated with autonomous motivation. This study proposes that crisis managers might wish to enhance various kinds of motivations; dependent on the particular take-part behavior chosen post crises. Moreover, perceived autonomy and relatedness are positively associated with autonomous motivation. The study proposes that risk managers may seek to promote different forms of motives based on the preferred style of participation after a crisis.
... Another crucial factor is obtaining media information. The importance of media use in uncertain situations has been shown consistently, not only during pandemics, but also during terrorism events and natural disasters (e.g., Procopio and Procopio, 2007;Palen et al., 2009). Especially as interpersonal contact is limited during a pandemic, media information becomes an even more important source (Anwar et al., 2020). ...
The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic required implementation of a variety of measures. In addition to pharmaceutical measures, such as vaccines, changing individuals’ nonpharmaceutical preventive behaviour is essential to prevent the spread of infection. In uncertain situations, such as a pandemic, media sources are important for guiding individuals’ decision-making behaviour. In this study, we examined the effects of media use on preventive behaviour during COVID-19. Earlier studies have shown that social networking service (SNS) browsing promotes preventive behaviour. However, those studies only assessed a single point during the early stages of the pandemic; therefore, the effects on ongoing preventive behaviour are unclear. Thus, a two-wave panel survey was conducted in 2020 and 2021 for an exploratory analysis of changes in the effects of media on individuals’ preventive behaviour over time. The results show that the effect of SNS browsing on preventing going out was confirmed only during the early stage of the pandemic and was not observed 1 year later. It is also shown that those who shifted from self-restraint to going out within 1 year were not affected by the type of media use, but by cognitive factors. As the situation changes during a pandemic, analyses that consider time-series changes are essential for gaining insights about the effects of media on the promotion and maintenance of continuous prevention behaviours.
... Practical experience with traumatic events indicates that individuals who feel uncertain about the causes of significant societal events turn to social media for consolation. Internet users in a crisis tend to go online to activate weak ties in their social networks (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). During the COVID-19 pandemic, intolerance to uncertainty is correlated to psychological distress (Reizer et al, 2021). ...
The COVID-19 pandemic raised important questions about news patterns of interaction on social network sites (SNS) and instant messaging platforms (IM), especially in the context of the massive replacement of face-to-face interactions with mediated interactions, due to the restrictive measures taken in many parts of the world. In this context, by means of a national survey conducted in Romania (N=1160), we investigated people’s willingness to engage on social media and instant messaging platforms about the topic of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results show that people are eager to share information about the topic on both SNS and IM, less interested in getting involved in debates, and even less in voluntary work. All these behaviors are predicted by trust of SNS and news consumption on these platforms, perceived size of the personal digital network, belief in conspiracy theories about the virus, uncertainty about the impact of the crisis, and level of education.
... Kondisi terkini yang dimaksudkan adalah situasi darurat seperti perubahan jadwal, laporan kecelakaan, peringatan layanan, dan berita lain dalam jangka waktu pendek (TCRP, 2012). Dalam waktu yang tergolong darurat ketika layanan formal terputus, media sosial membantu menjembatani kekosongan komunikasi dalam menerima dan mengirim pesan dengan cepat dan masif (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Situasi tersebut sesuai dengan penelitian Majumdar (2017), yaitu media sosial membantu organisasi transportasi mengatasi gangguan layanan. ...
Proyek MRT (Moda Raya Terpadu) Jakarta fase pertama telah diselesaikan dan digunakan pada awal tahun 2019. Keberadaan MRT Jakarta ini menimbulkan masifnya interaksi dalam ruang publik, khususnya pada media sosial Twitter. Interaksi yang terbentuk dapat diidentifikasikan sebagai aktivitas keterlibatan pemangku kepentingan karena berfungsi sebagai mekanisme kontrol oleh publik terhadap MRT Jakarta saat periode kemunculannya. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menilai bagaimana efektivitas dari keterlibatan pemangku kepentingan yang terbentuk di platform Twitter dalam kasus MRT Jakarta. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode analisis konten secara kualitatif. Dengan melakukan kategorisasi tipe pesan sebanyak 1.853 pesan menjadi lima tipe, penelitian ini menemukan dominasi pesan dari kategori keterlibatan pemangku kepentingan. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa aktivitas keterlibatan pemangku kepentingan di MRT Jakarta mampu memenuhi lima dimensi seperti representasi, keterlibatan awal, pengaruh, transparansi, dan pembelajaran.
... In moments of crisis, social media may have both direct and indirect effects on the public (Austin et al., 2012). During times of crisis, people' s use of social media increases (Princeton Survey Research Associates International for the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2006), and in some cases they regard social media as more credible sources of information than traditional forms of media (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). COVID-19' s quick spread and resulting global pandemic have recently become a subject of intensive social media discourse, with Twitter reporting a COVID-19-related post every 45 milliseconds; the hashtag #coronavirus quickly became the second most used in 2020 (Cinelli et al., 2020). ...
The main aim of this study is to identify the role of information dissemination on urban and rural citizens of Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of misinformation in this process. The study also aimed at finding appropriate counter misinformation strategies regarding COVID-19. An online questionnaire was prepared to collect the viewpoints of the urban and rural citizens of Bangladesh regarding dissemination of information during COVID-19, misinformation regarding COVID-19, and counter misinformation strategies. Along with demographic and general information, a five-point Likert scale was used to measure COVID-19 related misinformation beliefs and how to counter them. Chi square tests were used to determine the association between current residency, information sources, the importance of information dissemination, reactions after getting COVID related information, and evaluative steps after getting information and before disseminating it. Additionally, nonparametric Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to know the significance of difference in respondents' assessment on COVID-19 related misinformation in terms of their demographic characteristics. Cronbach's alpha score was obtained to see the reliability of the questionnaire items. The current study reveals that both urban and rural citizens of Bangladesh are influenced by information dissemination regarding COVID-19 and they have lower level of misinformation belief. The respondents have differences in misinformation belief by different demographic groups. Respondents' educational status, information literacy, sources of getting information, and evaluative steps after getting information have significant differences in misinformation belief. The study also noticed the support of respondents for countering misinformation strategies regarding COVID-19.
... During crises, social media usage increases leading experts to conclude that communicating through social media is the new norm in crises (Baron, 2010). Students who actively use social media or become active during crises assign a higher level of credibility to social media coverage than to traditional mass media coverage (Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Additionally, social media users indicate social media provides emotional support by sharing information and forming virtual support groups that are instantaneous and easily accessible (Choi & Lin, 2009). ...
Professional school counselors play a vital role in addressing the needs of diverse populations experiencing varying degrees of crises. This article suggests best practices for utilizing genograms in the digital age to identify cookie friendships and to address varying degrees of crisis experiences of school-aged children. The use of genograms in the school counseling setting can be an easily adoptable approach and technique for use with a wide variety of students that can be implemented in various situations.
... D'une ampleur majeure, l'évènement se place parmi les catastrophes naturelles les plus dévastatrices du pays (Knabb et al., 2005). C'est l'un des premiers évènements de grande ampleur pour lesquels on documente un usage de médias sociaux par les citoyens pour partager et rechercher de l'information sur des sites web collaboratifs, annoter des cartographies pour documenter l'ampleur des dégâts, ou coordonner leurs efforts pour se remettre de la crise Procopio & Procopio, 2007). Au cours de cette crise, les technologies mobiles et les premiers sites de médias sociaux ont grandement contribué au rétablissement de la communication, et à la reconstruction du sentiment d'appartenance au sein des communautés (Shklovski et al., 2010). ...
Si la gestion des crises de sécurité civile incombe à un ensemble d’institutions et d’acteurs professionnels, l’utilisation grandissante des médias sociaux affirme le rôle majeur joué par les citoyens dans sa mise en œuvre. À partir d’une approche interdisciplinaire (sciences de l’information et de la communication, sciences informatiques), nos travaux proposent d’étudier l’intégration des contributions citoyennes aux dispositifs de gestion de crise, et ce en particulier via les médias sociaux. Ces travaux s’inscrivent dans le champ des crisis informatics, et se présentent selon quatre axes thématiques : i) l’utilisation des médias sociaux par les communautés citoyennes en situation de crise, ii) les pratiques des acteurs professionnels sur l’intégration des contributions citoyennes, iii) les opportunités pour renforcer les interactions professionnels-citoyens en gestion de crise, et iv) l’intégration des initiatives citoyennes au sein d’un outil logiciel pour l’orchestration de la réponse. Premièrement, nos travaux présentent comment les citoyens s’approprient les fonctionnalités des médias sociaux pour répondre à des besoins spécifiques en situation de crise. Ils amènent à reconsidérer la notion de volontariat en gestion de crise, et dressent une cartographie de la diversité des contributions citoyennes qui peuvent être perçues via les médias sociaux. Deuxièmement, nous étudions comment les pratiques des acteurs des Services Départementaux d’Incendie et de Secours (SDIS) intègrent cette émergence de contributions citoyennes. Si l’on note une certaine maturité dans l’usage des médias sociaux en cellule de crise, on observe toutefois certaines réticences qui freinent leur adoption. Pour l’intégration des initiatives citoyennes sur le terrain, les professionnels des SDIS sont généralement frileux à l’idée d’impliquer les citoyens dans leurs missions de secours. En revanche, l’échelle communale semble plus propice à la prise en charge des volontaires.Troisièmement, nos recherches amènent des axes de travail et de réflexion pour accompagner les institutions de sécurité civile dans une meilleure intégration des contributions citoyennes. Ils amènent alors des réflexions théoriques sur la portée collaborative de ces interactions entre professionnels et citoyens.Quatrièmement, nos travaux proposent de modéliser la notion d’initiative citoyenne, et de mettre en place des modes d’orchestration de leur intégration au sein du logiciel R-IO Suite. Avec l’appui d’un cas d’étude, ils illustrent les possibilités pour une cellule de crise de piloter une gestion de crise qui implique acteurs professionnels et acteurs citoyens.
... News media organizations increasingly rely on social media platforms to extend their influence. Social media, characterized by its openness and participatory nature (Chen et al., 2020), is viewed by the public as a means to receive updated information and emotional support during crises (Procopio and Procopio, 2007;Stephens and Malone, 2009). This has been evidenced during COVID-19 in which increased usage of social media was seen (Cortese, 2020;Ngai et al., 2020;Zheng et al., 2020). ...
This study compares the coverage of coping strategies and emotions portrayed in news regarding COVID-19 by The New York Times in the U.S. and People’s Daily of China via social media. By employing corpus assisted discourse analysis to scrutinize the text corpora, our study uncovered prominent keywords and themes. Findings indicate that a comprehensive range of themes relating to coping strategies was more common in People’s Daily while a relatively smaller number of themes was apparent in The New York Times. In terms of emotions exhibited in the news coverage, positive emotions such as cheer, gratitude, and good wishes predominated in People’s Daily whereas in The New York Times, negative emotions in the form of fears and anxiety were salient. The differences are explained with reference to the political context intertwined with the news environment and prior experiences in handling epidemics, with practical implications.
... Previous studies emphasized how social media usage increases during a crisis (Sweetser & Metzgar, 2007) and how Twitter is suitable during a crisis as it is often used for short and quick updates (Schultz et al., 2011). Usage of social media during a crisis is also discovered in previous studies as of retrieving information (Jin et al., 2014), keeping in contact with families and friends (Procopio & Procopio, 2007), relieving stress by looking at content with humor (Liu et al., 2013). Not only that, according to Kapoor and colleagues' (2018) review of social media studies in information system journals, a relatively emerging theme of the field showed how some users utilize their Analyzing the Voice of Recipients of CSR Activities from #NBATogether Campaign 27 social network to seek help and support during a crisis. ...
This study aimed to analyze the voice of recipients of professional sports teams’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis (CDA) was adopted and analyzed 275 tweets from every NBA team that included the #NBATogether hashtag from March 20th to April 20th, 2020. Results suggested the public mostly complied with discourses created by NBA teams, but challenging discourses were constantly created in comments. This study provided possible reasons to support these findings. First, the conceptual background of CDA is provided to justify the creation of different discourses in comments. Second, the characteristic backgrounds of users following professional sports teams’ social media were mentioned as a possible cause of complying discourse as dominant in comments. Third, the research also highlighted how social media should not be a panacea for delivering CSR discourse, which brings up the necessity for the traditional media to be considered as not all public have internet access. Finally, the importance of analyzing the public’s discourse was mentioned to emphasize the benefits of both professional teams and communities.
Introduction: Human life has always been subject to crisis. The important thing in dealing with a crisis is the appropriate response. The emergence of information technology has provided crisis managers with the best possible potential and capacities for crisis management. Today, managers should always be ready to deal with crises. These crises can be economic and financial or natural events such as storms, floods, tsunamis, or disease outbreaks. Managers who have not taken measures in advance to deal with such events will lose more. No one is aware of the crisis in advance. Expert managers have basic plans to deal with such situations. To overcome uneven events, managers should use the experiences of their predecessors to get acquainted with crisis coping strategies. Not all managers can overcome the crisis. However, if the managers in their organization believe in crisis management as an inseparable part of their strategic management responsibility, the probability of confronting a crisis will be significantly reduced. Crisis management activities are performed in three stages before the crisis, during the crisis, and after the crisis. The first step consists of the actions needed to prevent the crisis. This stage is the first step in identifying and diagnosing the crisis and also gathering information to deal with the crisis. The second stage includes the stage of crisis occurrence. In this stage, it is necessary to gather information to diagnose the causes of the crisis. The third stage is the actions that must be taken after the crisis. At this stage, we had to ensure that the crisis has resolved or not. Also, learning from the crisis so that it does not happen again occurs at this stage. The crisis is a test for stability in a system. A crisis is an unusual situation in which a problem or sudden event occurs that is not predictable. Etymologically, the word crisis has been derived from the Greek language. In ancient Greek, the word crisis (κριςις) means "judgment" or "decision". The crisis means that it is necessary to make a decision that has not been made before. In the 21st century, the growth of information technology and the expansion of research has created a significant increase in the understanding of the challenges of crisis management when facing a crisis to reduce victims, and thanks to technology and the use of communication technologies, crisis management has become more realistic. During crisis management, by using correct communication, participation, coordination, and integration in information systems play an important role in crisis control. In a crisis, those affected perceive, process, and act on information differently than in non-crisis times. One of the applications of information technology in crisis management is "crisis
In the field of urban governance, the concept of community is often regarded as the fundamental unit for the delivery of public services. People strive to tackle diverse challenges, such as social segregation and rigid bureaucracy, through the lens of community development. Hence, a precise articulation of this concept is crucial. However, “community” can refer to either a physical area or a group of people, resulting in multiple definitions. The boundary of a community may be defined in various ways. Consequently, a paradox arises: people may enthusiastically explore the suitability of a community for providing public services, but without exactly clarifying where the discussed community itself is. This ambiguity can cause confusion in practical applications of the concept of community, resulting in a decrease in the effectiveness of community governance, the neglect of social attributes, and the undermining of public nature. This conceptual article advocates for a new approach to defining communities, one that integrates sociological components while also having a concrete spatial anchor. It proposes substituting the idea of a clear-cut “boundary” with a buffer “frontier” (or “boundary,” depending on the author’s intended meaning) as a means of demarcating the community. By comparing the conceptual characteristics of “frontier” and “boundary,” we believe that this substitution can eliminate the yes-or-no binary determination inherent in the traditional community concept. In addition, by adopting the concept of “amenity,” we aim to provide a more tangible anchor for identifying the boundaries of a community, clarifying ambiguities, and offering guidance for subsequent research operationalization.
Sosyal medya platformları aracılığıyla toplumlar bilgilerini, isteklerini, ihtiyaçlarını ve tepkilerini yansıtabilmektedir. Sosyal medyanın tüm bu süreçlere açık yapısı ise toplumların bu ortamları sıkça kullanmasını sağlamaktadır. Özellikle toplumları etkileyen bir durum meydana geldiğinde insanlar oldukça hızlı bir şekilde sosyal medya aracılığıyla düşüncelerini paylaşabilmekte ve kimi durumlarda da başkalarının düşüncelerini etkileyebilmektedir. Bu doğrultuda, 6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde Kahramanmaraş merkezli meydana gelen deprem felaketi sonrasında insanlar öncelikle bilgilendirme ve yardım faaliyetlerini yürütme amacıyla sosyal medya ortamlarını kullanmışlardır. Daha sonrasında ise deprem bölgesine destek göndermeyen, depremle ilgili destekleyici paylaşımlar yapmayan ve yapılan destekler hakkında sosyal medya üzerinden toplumu bilgilendirmeyen kurumlar hakkında boykotlar başlamıştır. Bu boykotların devamlılığının ölçülmesi ve devamında da içeriklerinin doğru bir şekilde analiz edilmesi markalar açısından kriz iletişimi bağlamında oldukça önemlidir. Kriz anlarında on binlerce içeriğin takip edilmesi, analiz edilmesi ve sonuçlarının sunulması çok da mümkün görülmemektedir. Çalışmada, 6 Şubat tarihinde meydana gelen deprem sonrasında boykot edilen markalardan birisi olan Starbucks’a yönelik paylaşımlar veri madenciliği yöntemi ile analiz edilmiş ve hesaplamalı sosyal bilimler yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Bu yöntem dâhilinde depremin ilk günlerinde sessiz kalan Starbucks’ın açıklama yaptığı ilk tarih olan 9 Şubat 2023 ile 19 Mart 2023 tarih aralığındaki tweetler araştırmaya dâhil edilmiştir. İlgili veriler, veri temizleme süreçlerinden geçirildikten sonra BERT duygu analizine tabii tutulmuş ve sonrasında veri görselleştirmeleri yapılmıştır. Yirmi bin veri üzerinden gerçekleştirilen duygu analizi sonuçları negatif tweetlerin fazlalığına dikkat çekmektedir. Analiz verilerine göre 13621 negatif, 5059 pozitif ve 1320 nötr tweetin olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Tweetler duygu durumları bakımından yüzdesel olarak %68 negatif, %7 nötr ve %25 pozitif dağılım göstermektedir.
Sosyal medya araçları, vatandaşları, haber kuruluşlarını, gazetecileri, sivil toplum örgütlerini ve acil durum müdahale ekiplerini günlük hayatın çoğu alanına entegre etmektedir. İletişim, acil durum yönetiminin temel araçlarından biri olarak görülmektedir ve bir afete müdahale eden onlarca kurum/kuruluş için çok önemli hale gelmektedir. Son birkaç yılda Türkiye’de meydana gelen felaketlerde ve acil durumlarda, sosyal medya araçları kriz müdahalesinin ayrılmaz ve önemli bir bileşeni olarak hizmet edebileceğini göstermektedir. Acil durumun türü ne olursa olsun, (terör saldırısı, salgın hastalık, sel veya bir deprem) çok fazla insan iletişim hatlarına bilgiye erişmek için aşırı yüklenebilir ve bu hücresel ağları faydalı olacakken kullanışsız hale getirebilir.
Bu nedenle örgütsel teoriden yola çıkarak, kolektif anlam yaratmayı teşvik eden kasıtlı bilgi sağlamanın arkasındaki mekanizmaları açıklamak ayrıca önem arz etmektedir. Bu makale, sosyal medya araçlarının afetlerde halk, acil durum kuruluşları ve akademik kurumlar tarafından nasıl kullanıldığını incelemektedir. Bu makale acil durumlarda sosyal medya kullanımına ilişkin literatürü gözden geçirmektedir. İncelenen makalelerden bazıları daha önceki materyallere atıfta bulunmaktadır.
Purpose
Governments around the world have shown poor capabilities in responding effectively to the COVID-19 health emergency outbreaks. After the declaration of COVID-19 as an international pandemic by the World Health Organization on January 31, 2020, three countries experienced the greatest initial impact in Europe. Sequentially Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK) were hit by the highest numbers of contagion and death in the first few months in Europe. The aim of this paper is to assess how information channels and sources influenced the public’s evaluation of the three government’s communication response strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted between March 14 and April 14, 2020, during the first wave of lockdowns and declarations of States of Emergency in the three countries.
Findings
Findings show particularities for the different countries, but also similarities in response and reactions of the public in the three scenarios. The response strategy of the UK Government was the most untrusted and criticized by citizens. In contrast, the Italian and Spanish Governments, which both chose to respond with the severest restrictions, attracted more support from citizens, especially in Italy, which was the first to close borders and impose lockdowns for the population.
Research limitations/implications
Despite the national differences in the preference of information channels and sources, overall, an empirical relationship between government communication assessment and media use were found in all the scenarios.
Practical implications
This empirical study has theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, findings will add evidence of implications of the Channel Complementary Theory to the field of risk, crisis and emergency communication. The results also provide insights for communication practitioners in the public sector on how forms of information and trust in sources influence the public’s assessment of authorities’ communication.
Originality/value
Implications for theory and empirical research about communication during a health pandemic are identified and discussed.
Highlights
Citizens engage at a high level and synchronize their use of multiple media and platforms in all the three national scenarios.
Stronger criticism is provided by online media, especially social media and online press in the different national contexts.
Results corroborate that factors related to media choice need to be operationalized for risk and crisis communication research.
When public health depends on people understanding the actions they need to take, the possibility of disobedience is highly dependent on trust.
Compared with Spain and the United Kingdom (UK), trust in government institutions in Italy was stronger and could be explained by the higher use of owned media for information-seeking.
Organizations are sustained by the strength of their reputations globally and especially in crisis management when the reputations of such organizations are threatened. Thus, effective crisis communications management is indispensable to every organization maintaining its reputation. This research paper used Coombs' Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) to examine the relationships between crisis response strategy, crisis history, and crisis type on organizational reputation from the lens of the Nigerian perspective. This project was guided by the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) since previous research has demonstrated that the variables of the theory might influence organizational reputations. Consequently, the study examined the levels of Nigerian MTN reputation among the 254 respondents. It further evaluated the relationshipsbetween crisis response strategy, crisis history, crisis type, and reputation during crisis management. A quantitative research approach was utilized to offer inferential and descriptive findings. The study showed that more than half of the respondents’ reputations for Nigerian MTN were high. The findings further demonstrated positive and significant relationships between crisis response strategy, crisis history, crisis type, and reputation where the p<.01. However, the strength of their relationships with reputation differed. Thus, crisis history contributed most to reputation with t=3.99, follow by crisis type with t=2.80 and crisis response strategy with t=1.57. Therefore, the findings of the study recommend that Nigerian MTN organizations should embrace these factors towards enhancing their reputation during crises. The study further contributed the knowledge on how to universally sustain organizational reputations during crises.
As disasters increase in frequency and intensity, government leaders bear the responsibility of sharing potentially life‐saving information with the public. Social media have begun to emerge as powerful tools for two‐way crisis communication, allowing officials to reach, inform, and motivate at‐risk publics at all stages of the catastrophe lifecycle. Several crisis communication theories have been used to investigate the utility of social media as channels for disaster‐related messages. This scoping review provides an overview of four prominent theories in the field (situational crisis communication theory, the social‐mediated crisis communication model, discourse of renewal theory, and dialogic communication theory) and their implications for sharing crisis messages via social media. This review concludes with a general evaluation of the benefits and potential concerns of using social media to share official messages during natural disasters.
This paper focuses on four e-initiatives that were precipitated by the coronavirus outbreak in Italy. These experiences played a relevant role in developing multilevel solidarity (from the local to the global level) both online and offline. They are represented by the hashtags “#iorestoacasa” (I stay at home) and “#andràtuttobene” (everything will be alright), “performances on the balcony,” “influencers’ campaigns,” and “altruism and e-parochialism.” These experiences represent revealing examples essential to understand the benefits that a mediated form of solidarity can produce. This is particularly important given the challenges that solidarity faces due to the technological acceleration imposed by the pandemic, which is likely to influence social relationships even in the post-pandemic era. Four lessons can be learned from these expressions of e-solidarity related to the capacity of Information and Communication Technologies to (1) promote unconditioned altruism; (2) fight “parochialism” when the same disadvantaged condition is shared; (3) their capacity to develop a multilevel sense of community by connecting the local experience to the global dimension; and (4) to mediate between institutional sources and people, and connect family members, friends, vulnerable people with neighbors, and the global community. This last point suggests that the pandemic has offered fertile ground for both mechanical and organic forms of solidarity to emerge. On the one hand, it created a collective conscience based on shared vulnerabilities and interdependence. On the other hand, it is based on individualization and diversity. Indeed, these examples of Durkheimian collective effervescence show the paradox of a form of collective individualized and mediated solidarity, which is typical of contemporary society.
This chapter aims at understanding the dynamics that led to the exchange and value co-creation/co-production in the interaction between P.A. and citizens during natural calamities. In addition, it proposes a horizontal communication model in which both actors cooperate to respond to crisis, a semantic and semiotic space on the net able to satisfy their information needs. When natural disasters occur, citizens' primary need is to reach as much information as possible about the status of loved ones possibly involved in the accident, road traffic, how to give an effective contribution to the cause without hindering, etc. On the other hand, P.A. and rescuers need to know as much information as possible about the reports, on the site of the disaster so as to intervene promptly to help the population in danger. Therefore, P.A. and citizens are called upon to cooperate to guarantee crisis containment, crisis management, and also future crisis prevention.
This chapter aims at understanding the dynamics that led to the exchange and value co-creation/co-production in the interaction between P.A. and citizens during natural calamities. In addition, it proposes a horizontal communication model in which both actors cooperate to respond to crisis, a semantic and semiotic space on the net able to satisfy their information needs. When natural disasters occur, citizens' primary need is to reach as much information as possible about the status of loved ones possibly involved in the accident, road traffic, how to give an effective contribution to the cause without hindering, etc. On the other hand, P.A. and rescuers need to know as much information as possible about the reports, on the site of the disaster so as to intervene promptly to help the population in danger. Therefore, P.A. and citizens are called upon to cooperate to guarantee crisis containment, crisis management, and also future crisis prevention.
Based on uncertainty reduction theory, this paper argues that individuals were motivated to seek information and learn about the September 11 terrorist attacks to reduce uncertainty about what happened. Results from a panel survey indicate that negative emotional response was a strong predictor of efforts to learn. Analyses also show that relative increases in newspaper, television, and Internet use from Wave 1 to Wave 2 were positively related to efforts to learn about the attacks. The findings extend uncertainty reduction theory to the mass media context thereby contributing to our understanding of uses and gratifications.
The computer represents a new resource in developing social capital that previously did not exist among migrants. The relationship between physical space and cyberspace is discussed using the experience of migrants from Newfoundland who, although dispersed from their homeland, use the computer to maintain ties with both their homeland and others in diaspora. Three phases in the migration cycle are identified (pre-migrant, post-migrant, settled migrant) and four categories of computer usage are linked to each phase. Three types of online relationships can be identified among diasporic peoples that result in developing new ties, nourishing old ties and rediscovering lost ties. The processes of verification, telepresence, hyperreality and attribution are discovered and illustrated from online data and interviews which indicate how computermediated communication is related to both social networking and identity among migrants.
This study applies chaos theory to a system-wide analysis of crisis communication in a natural disaster. Specifically, we analyze crisis communication during the 1997 Red River Valley flood in Minnesota and North Dakota. This flood, among the worst in modern American history, consumed entire metropolitan areas, displacing thousands of people. The conditions and decisions leading to the disaster, and the subsequent reactions are retraced. Communication related to river crest predictions (fractals), the shock at the magnitude of the crisis (cosmology episode), novel forms of reorganizing (self-organization), and agencies that aided in establishing a renewed order (strange attractors) are evaluated. Ultimately, we argue that preexisting sensemaking structures favoring rationalized, traditional views of a complex system led officials to make inappropriately unequivocal predictions and ultimately diminished the effectiveness of the region's crisis communication and planning.
This article examines the role of the Internet as a source of political information and a sphere for public expression. Informational media use, whether traditional news sources or online public affairs content, is expected to foster interpersonal political discussion and online civic messaging, contributing to increased civic participation. Using two-wave national panel survey data, three types of synchronous structural equation models are tested: cross sectional (relating individual differences), fixed effects (relating intraindividual change), and auto regressive (relating aggregate change). All models reveal that online media complement traditional media to foster political discussion and civic messaging. These two forms of political expression, in turn, influence civic participation. Other variable orderings are tested to compare the theorized model to alternative causal specifications. Results reveal that the model produces the best fit, empirically and theoretically, with the influence of the Internet, rivaling the mobilizing power of traditional modes of information and expression.
The diffusion and use of digitally based information and communication technologies (ICTs) offers the opportunity to redefine and reconceptualize 'community' both in terms of delineating the boundaries of community, as well as the modes of communication used between members. The creation of an electronic infrastructure, the Internet, permits the possibility of widespread public communication that is inexpensive and relatively easy to access. A second consequence builds on the first; the emergence of (virtual) communities based on geographically distributed sources of information production and exchange rather than the geographic proximity of community members to one another. An assessment of three cases of ICT-linked communities suggests that one component of sustainability of these virtual communities of interest may be a geographic linkage. While interests not based on geography are, at least at present, more transitory and less important than those created by the use of the Internet and similar kinds of ICTs. While we may join a virtual community because of an interest we have, unless that interest affects us in our daily lives, in our lives as physically-instantiated and geographically-centred individuals and citizens, there is no good reason to believe that we will long continue an active membership in the virtual community. Indeed, this is precisely what the three case studies presented in this paper suggest.
Although some argue that Internet use may erode involvement in public life, the most common Internet behaviors, social communication and information searching, may actually foster social and civic participation. To examine this possibility, we test a series of non-recursive models using a national survey of nearly 3,400 respondents. Two-stage least squares regressions were performed to simultaneously test the reciprocal relationship between frequency of Internet use (i.e., hours per day) and three sets of community engagement behaviors: informal social interaction, attendance at public events, and participation in civic volunteerism (i.e., annual frequency). Time spent online has a positive relationship with public attendance and civic volunteerism. No evidence of time displacement from frequency of Internet use is observed.
Communities with high levels of social capital are likely to have a higher quality of life than communities with low social capital (Coleman, 1988, 1990; Putnam, 1993, 2000). This is due to the greater ability of such communities to organize and mobilize effectively for collective action because they have high levels of social trust, social networks, and well-established norms of mutuality (the major features of social capital). Communities with 'bridging' social capital (weak ties across groups) as well as 'bonding' social capital (strong ties within groups) are the most effective in organizing for collective action (Granovetter, 1973; Putnam, 2000). People who belong to multiple groups act as bridging ties Simmel (1908) 1950; Wellman, 1988). When people with bridging ties use communication media, such as the Internet, they enhance their capability to educate community members, and organize, as needed, for collective action. This paper summarizes evidence from stratified household survey data in Blacksburg, Virginia showing that people with weak (bridging) ties across groups have higher levels of community involvement, civic interest and collective efficacy than people without bridging ties to groups. Moreover, heavy Internet users with bridging ties have higher social engagement, use the Internet for social purposes, and have been attending more local meetings and events since going online than heavy Internet users with no bridging ties. These findings may suggest that the Internet - in the hands of bridging individuals -- is a tool for maintaining social relations, information exchange, and increasing face-to-face interaction, all of which help to build both bonding and bridging social capital in communities.
The Internet could change the lives of average citizens as much as did the telephone in the early part of the 20th century and television in the 1950s and 1960s. Researchers and social critics are debating whether the Internet is improving or harming participation in community life and social relationships. This research examined the social and psychological impact of the Internet on 169 people in 73 households during their first 1 to 2 years on-line. We used longitudinal data to examine the effects of the Internet on social involvement and psychological well-being. In this sample, the Internet was used extensively for communication. Nonetheless, greater use of the Internet was associated with declines in participants' communication with family members in the household, declines in the size of their social circle, and increases in their depression and loneliness. These findings have implications for research, for public policy and for the design of technology.
Social resources research has linked activated ties to outcomes-but not to the core networks from which the ties came. This study shifts the focus to the question of how networks allocate resources. The activation of core network ties is analyzed in a nonroutine situation-a hurricane-to determine how core network structure affects the degree to which individuals activate core network ties to gain one type of social resource-informal support. Results show that the structures of individuals' core networks affect the degree to which individuals activate ties from those networks to gain informal support. Individuals embedded in higher-density core networks (i.e., alters are connected to one another), core networks with more gender diversity (i.e., a mix of men and women), and networks that contain higher proportions of men, kin, and younger individuals, activated core network ties for informal support to a greater degree than did individuals embedded in core networks lacking these characteristics. The conclusions consider the study's implications for understanding resource activation in the contexts of social support and job searches.
Journal of Democracy 6.1 (1995) 65-78
As featured on National Public Radio, The New York Times, and in other major media, we offer this sold-out, much-discussed Journal of Democracy article by Robert Putnam, "Bowling Alone." You can also find information at DemocracyNet about the Journal of Democracy and its sponsor, the National Endowment for Democracy.
Many students of the new democracies that have emerged over the past decade and a half have emphasized the importance of a strong and active civil society to the consolidation of democracy. Especially with regard to the postcommunist countries, scholars and democratic activists alike have lamented the absence or obliteration of traditions of independent civic engagement and a widespread tendency toward passive reliance on the state. To those concerned with the weakness of civil societies in the developing or postcommunist world, the advanced Western democracies and above all the United States have typically been taken as models to be emulated. There is striking evidence, however, that the vibrancy of American civil society has notably declined over the past several decades.
Ever since the publication of Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America, the United States has played a central role in systematic studies of the links between democracy and civil society. Although this is in part because trends in American life are often regarded as harbingers of social modernization, it is also because America has traditionally been considered unusually "civic" (a reputation that, as we shall later see, has not been entirely unjustified).
When Tocqueville visited the United States in the 1830s, it was the Americans' propensity for civic association that most impressed him as the key to their unprecedented ability to make democracy work. "Americans of all ages, all stations in life, and all types of disposition," he observed, "are forever forming associations. There are not only commercial and industrial associations in which all take part, but others of a thousand different types -- religious, moral, serious, futile, very general and very limited, immensely large and very minute. . . . Nothing, in my view, deserves more attention than the intellectual and moral associations in America."
Recently, American social scientists of a neo-Tocquevillean bent have unearthed a wide range of empirical evidence that the quality of public life and the performance of social institutions (and not only in America) are indeed powerfully influenced by norms and networks of civic engagement. Researchers in such fields as education, urban poverty, unemployment, the control of crime and drug abuse, and even health have discovered that successful outcomes are more likely in civically engaged communities. Similarly, research on the varying economic attainments of different ethnic groups in the United States has demonstrated the importance of social bonds within each group. These results are consistent with research in a wide range of settings that demonstrates the vital importance of social networks for job placement and many other economic outcomes.
Meanwhile, a seemingly unrelated body of research on the sociology of economic development has also focused attention on the role of social networks. Some of this work is situated in the developing countries, and some of it elucidates the peculiarly successful "network capitalism" of East Asia. Even in less exotic Western economies, however, researchers have discovered highly efficient, highly flexible "industrial districts" based on networks of collaboration among workers and small entrepreneurs. Far from being paleoindustrial anachronisms, these dense interpersonal and interorganizational networks undergird ultramodern industries, from the high tech of Silicon Valley to the high fashion of Benetton.
The norms and networks of civic engagement also powerfully affect the performance of representative government. That, at least, was the central conclusion of my own 20-year, quasi-experimental study of subnational governments in different regions of Italy. Although all these regional governments seemed identical on paper, their levels of effectiveness varied dramatically. Systematic inquiry showed that the quality of governance was determined by longstanding traditions of civic engagement (or its absence). Voter turnout, newspaper readership, membership in choral societies and football clubs -- these were the hallmarks of a successful region. In fact, historical analysis suggested that these networks of organized reciprocity and civic solidarity...
Disaster relief home pages were content analyzed using a seven-dimensional conceptualization of interactivity. This study provides a theoretical exploration of the concept of interactivity and its potential contributions to the Internet as an increasingly interactive mass medium. It then applies interactivity to the development of disaster communication and tests that framework in the context of disaster relief home pages. Although most sites that were analyzed contained a large amount of news and explanatory content, as well as potential for user response, most did not show high scores in actual responsiveness to user or the other five dimensions of interactivity.
This study investigated an on-line cancer support community emphasizing communication concerns important to the community administrators. The researcher conducted an on-line survey of participants (N v = v 103) focused on their on-line communication activities and social support. The results indicate a modest negative correlation between emotional support received on-line and perceived stress, differences in emotional support scores based on perceptions of disadvantages of on-line support groups, and different motives for using the community between people with cancer and family members. The study also describes suggestions based on the results that were made to community administrators and which could be used by other on-line support communities.
During the course of the past year, at least four different academic surveys have been conducted, each focusing to some extent on the impact of Internet use on the quantity and quality of interpersonal communication and sociability. Remarkably, these studies arrive at starkly different conclusions regarding the social repercussions of Internet use. At the heart of this debate is whether Internet use can be a potentially isolating activity or one that leads to substantially greater communication among people and thus enhances human connectivity and sociability. Based on an analysis of these studies' key findings and methodological approaches, this article attempts to understand the role of the Internet in shaping our interpersonal relations. The key findings suggest that Internet users do not become more sociable; rather, they already display a higher degree of social connectivity and participation, due to the fact that they are better educated, better off financially, and less likely to be among the elderly. And simply because of the inelasticity of time, Internet use may actually reduce interpersonal interaction and communication.
How does the Internet affect social capital? Do the communication possibilities of the Internet increase, decrease, or supplement interpersonal contact, participation, and community commitment? Our evidence comes from a 1998 survey of 39,211 visitors to the National Geographic Society website, one of the first large-scale web surveys. We find that people's interaction online supplements their face-to-face and telephone communication, without increasing or decreasing it. However, Internet use is associated with increased participation in voluntary organizations and politics. Further support for this effect is the positive association between offline and online participation in volun tary organizations and politics. Internet use is associated with a sense of online community, in general and with kin. Taken together, the evidence suggests that the Internet is becoming normalized as it is incorporated into the routine practices of everyday life.
Studies of diffusion after major unanticipated news events have rarely examined what happens emotionally to people after they receive the news and how diffusion patterns interact with emotional reaction. Findings from this exploratory study of 105 college‐age respondents indicate that the need to cope with unsettling news helps drive both media use and interpersonal communication and that the rapid diffusion of such news is driven, in part, by the need to cope.
Reviews research on female and male interaction patterns. Examines classroom interaction in higher education and pedagogical alternatives developed in women's studies programs. Argues that the norm of classroom interaction is more closely aligned with typical male patterns of interaction. (PD)
In this article, both the literature on employee feedback-seeking behavior and the literature on information seeking by organizational newcomers are reviewed. This review highlights the various motives that affect the decision of whether or not to seek information, shows how the strength of those motives is affected by both characteristics of the individual and characteristics of the organizational context, and reviews evidence that information seeking has beneficial outcomes. The author then offers an integrated model of antecedents, dynamics, forms, and outcomes of employee information seeking and concludes with suggestions for how future research can extend current understanding of employee information seeking.
This paper provides a theoretical perspective for dealing with the initial entry stage of interpersonal interaction. The seven axioms and 21 theorems presented suggest a set of research priorities for studying the development of interpersonal relationships. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the problems to be considered if the theory is to be extended beyond the initial stages of interaction.
Results from a national representative telephone survey of Americans in 2000 show that Internet and mobile phone usage was very similar, and that several digital divides exist with respect to both Internet and mobile phone usage. The study identifies and analyzes three kinds of digital divides for both the Internet and mobile phones—users/nonuser, veteran/recent, and continuing/dropout—and similarities and differences among those digital divides based on demographic variables. The gap between Internet users and nonusers is associated with income and age, but no longer with gender and race, once other variables are controlled. The gap between mobile phone users and nonusers is associated with income, work status, and marital status. The veteran/recent Internet gap is predicted by income, age, education, phone user, membership in community religious organizations, having children, and gender; for mobile phones, age, work status and marital status are predictors. The gap between continuing and dropout users is predicted by education for Internet usage and income for mobile phone usage. Finally, cross-categorization of Internet and mobile phone usage/nonusage is distinguished (significantly though weakly) primarily by income and education. Thus, there are several digital divides, each predicted by somewhat different variables; and while Internet and mobile phone usage levels in 2000 were about the same, their users overlap but do not constitute completely equivalent populations.
Communities are networks of interpersonal ties that provide sociability, support, information, a sense of belonging, and social identity. Well into the 20th century, communities were equated with neighborhoods---bounded groups of people living near each other. This neighborhood-centered view of community made only partial sense because people have always had long-distance community ties either by traveling themselves or through connections with soldiers, artisans, peddlers, traders, marriage partners, shepherds, and the rich.
This study examined the buffering effect of social support by identifying the most important life event experienced by an individual and by tracing the characteristics of the person who helped during and/or after the event. Using the social resources theory, we operationalized social support in terms of the strength of social ties and homophily of characteristics between ego and the helper. Hypotheses were constructed to test whether one life event considered most important and undesirable by the individual could adequately represent the stressors-illness relationship. We found that individuals showed an increased level of depressive symptoms if they experienced a most important and undesirable event, but that the effect was reduced when help came from strong (rather than weak) ties. For those who had just experienced marital disruption (recently separated or widowed), however, help, regardless of its source, was not as valuable. Similarities in age and education between respondent and helper lowered the married respondents' depressive symptoms, and similarity of occupational status affected the unmarried in the same way. We discussed the implications of these findings for defining and operationalizing social support for the study of buffering effects and the significance of marital disengagement on the support system.
Do virtual communities in cyberspace foster social capital and social support? Using participant observation and discourse analysis, we examine a mothering board on a parent's website and investigate whether social capital was present, and if so, how it was developed and used. We find three main types of communication emerge from our analysis: emotional support, instrumental support--both formal and informal, and community building/protection, all of which contribute to the creation and maintenance of social capital. Additionally, using sampling with replacement, we created a final data set of 180 mothers and report descriptive statistics to identify characteristics of those on the board.
Katrina's diaspora, thrown to the winds and longing for home [Electronic version
- D Hastings