Twitter Use During a Weather Event: Comparing Content Associated with Localized and Nonlocalized Hashtags

Abstract

Social media are becoming relied upon for information concerning large-scale weather events, crises, and other occurrences that pose potential risks. Little is known about the effectiveness of social media strategies in delivering information effectively to at-risk audiences, or the ease with which audiences can locate information. A content analysis examined a sample of 800 tweets retrieved using localized and national hashtags in the early stage of a major winter storm. Results are consistent with past research suggesting that Twitter may be used more for affective display than for information seeking. It also extends previous research by offering that actionable information appears to be more common with localized hashtags. Results are discussed in terms of implications for future research and practical applications.

Keywords:

• Crisis
• Risk
• Snow Storm
• Social Media
• Twitter

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kenneth A. Lachlan

Kenneth A. Lachlan is an Associate Professor in Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut.

Patric R. Spence

Patric R. Spence is an Associate Professor in the Division of Instructional Communication and Research, Division of Risk Sciences in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky.

Xialing Lin

Xialing Lin is a Doctoral Student in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky.

Kristy M. Najarian

Kristy M. Najarian is a Graduate Student in the College of Communication and Information at the University of Kentucky.

Maria Del Greco

Maria Del Greco is a Graduate Student in Communicology at the University of Hawaii.