Variability in Twitter Content Across the Stages of a Natural Disaster: Implications for Crisis Communication

Abstract

Little is known about the ways in which social media, such as Twitter, function as conduits for information related to crises and emergencies. The current study analyzed the content of over 1,500 Tweets that were sent in the days leading up to the landfall of Hurricane Sandy. Time-series analyses reveal that relevant information became less prevalent as the crisis moved from the prodromal to acute phase, and information concerning specific remedial behaviors was absent. Implications for government agencies and emergency responders are discussed.

Keywords::

• Issue Management
• Social Networking
• Stakeholder

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Patric R. Spence

Patric R. Spence (Ph.D., Wayne State University, 2005) is an Associate Professor in the Division of Instructional Communication and Research at the University of Kentucky.

Kenneth A. Lachlan

Kenneth A. Lachlan (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2003) is an Associate Professor in the in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Connecticut.

Xialing Lin

Xialing Lin (M.A., Western Michigan University, 2012) is a doctoral student in the College of Communication and Information at University of Kentucky.

Maria del Greco

Maria del Greco (B.A., University of Massachusetts Boston, 2014) is a graduate student in the Department of Communicology at the University of Hawaii.