Social media and disaster response - crisis management following Typhoon Haiyan (original) (raw)
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Twitter as an instrument for crisis response: The Typhoon Haiyan case study
The research presented in this paper attempts an initial evaluation of Twitter as an instrument for emergency response in the context of a recent crisis event. The case of the 2013 disaster, when typhoon Haiyan hit Philippines is examined by analyzing nine consecutive days of Twitter messages and comparing them to the actual events. The results indicate that during disasters, Twitter users tend to post messages to enhance situation awareness and to motivate people to act. Furthermore, tweets were found reliable and provided valuable information content, supporting the argument that Twitter presents a very good potential to become a useful tool in situations where rapid emergency response is essential.
Computers in Human Behavior, 2015
Social media in crisis situations, such as natural disasters, have been recognized by scholars and practitioners as key communication channels that can complement traditional channels. However, there is limited empirical examination from the user perspective of the functions that social media play and the factors that explain such uses. In this study we examine Twitter use during and after Typhoon Haiyan pummeled the Philippines. We tested a typology of Twitter use based on previous research, and explored external factors-time of use and geographic location-and internal factors-type of stakeholders (e.g. ordinary citizens, journalists, etc.) and social media engagement-to predict these uses. The results showed that different stakeholders used social media mostly for dissemination of secondhand information, in coordinating relief efforts, and in memorializing those affected. Recommendations for future research and applications in future crises are also presented.
Twitter as an instrument for crisis response: The Typhoon Haiyan
The research presented in this paper attempts an initial evaluation of Twitter as an instrument for emergency response in the context of a recent crisis event. The case of the 2013 disaster, when typhoon Haiyan hit Philippines is examined by analyzing nine consecutive days of Twitter messages and comparing them to the actual events. The results indicate that during disasters, Twitter users tend to post messages to enhance situation awareness and to motivate people to act. Furthermore, tweets were found reliable and provided valuable information content, supporting the argument that Twitter presents a very good potential to become a useful tool in situations where rapid emergency response is essential
Disaster Management and Communication Technology: The Prospect of Social Media
International Handbook of Disaster Research, 2022
A major concern in disaster management is how to minimize damage to the society. In this endeavor, the prime focus has always been given to saving lives. However, in recent times issues associated with loss of property have emerged as another area of concern. During disaster, the most critical challenge before the disaster managers is how to sustain communication with the affected population and also with those who are likely to be impacted by it. Such a challenge generates the understanding that communication tools do have a significant role in managing disasters. Moreover, the above thinking conventionally has been found to be channelized through the traditional Media like Print media, Radio, and Television. Due to the faster changes in communication technology, we have now social media, which has emerged as an alternative communication tool for study among the scholars working on disaster research. Taking into account the above technological shift, this chapter focuses into how the Indian government
ICT infrastructure and social media tools usage in disaster/crisis management
2015
This article explores the ICT infrastructure enabling social media usage for disaster management. In the era of pervasive social media, the study seeks to probe the usage of social media tools and functionalities in times of disasters. The study deploys Grounded Theory approach. Extending on disaster management cycle, this study examines the various source of information in social media followed by the type of information disseminated by them and additionally the most extensively used form of information. Three recent catastrophic events in disaster-prone Asia Pacific region were selected, Kashmir floods (September 2014), Indonesia landslide (December 2014), and Cyclone Pam (March 2015). Twitter was deployed for data collection under two phases, immediately aftermath of the event and a random sample from the first 5 days of the event. These two data sets examined the research questions by presenting timely and panoramic dimensions. The study is novel since it extends the literature ...
Use Of Social Media In Disaster Management
This paper is prepared to explain the USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT with the help of case study of recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir. Herein, the potential of social media in minimizing loss of life during the time of disaster has been addressed. The research mentioned in this paper is mostly relevant in places where disasters cause a loss of communication.
Social media as a risk communication tool following Typhoon Haiyan
Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 2015
In the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative Office in the Philippines had no social media presence to share timely, relevant public health information. Context: Risk communication is essential to emergency management for public health message dissemination. As social media sites, such as Facebook, are popular in the Philippines, these were adopted for risk communication during the response to Haiyan. Action and outcome: The WHO Representative Office in the Philippines established Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Thirty days after thes e social medial channels were established, a gradual increase in followers was observed. Facebook saw the largest increase in followers which occurred as posted content gradually evolved from general public health information to more pro-active public health intervention and preparedness messaging. This included information on key health interventions encouraging followers to adopt protective behaviours to mitigate public health threats that frequently occur after a disaster. Lessons learnt: During the response to Haiyan, creating a social media presence, raising a follower base and developing meaningful messages and content was possible. This event underscored the importance of building a social media strategy in non-emergency times and supported the value of developing public health messages and content that both educates and interests the general public.
Social media and disaster communication: A case study of Cyclone Winston
2018
This article presents an analysis of how social media was used during Tropical Cyclone Winston, the strongest recorded tropical storm that left a wake of destruction and devastation in Fiji during February 2016. Social media is increasingly being used in crises and disasters as an alternative form of communication. Social media use in crisis communication varies according to the context, the disaster and the maturity of social media use. Fiji's experience during TC Winston contributes to the growing literature as it shows how social media was used during each stage of a disaster in a developing country. The article finds that before the cyclone, people used social media to share information about the cyclone and to be informed about the cyclone. During the cyclone, individuals used social media to share their experiences with some citizens capturing the cyclone as it happened and even one citizen live-tweeted her ordeal during the cyclone. Finally, following the cyclone, the hashtag #StrongerThanWinston was coined as a rallying point to bolster a sense of national solidarity.
Large-scale crises challenge the ability of public safety and security organisations to respond efficient and effectively. Meanwhile, citizens' adoption of mobile technology and rich social media services is dramatically changing the way crisis responses develop. Empowered by new communication media (smartphones, text messaging, internet-based applications and social media), citizens are the in situ first sensors. However, this entire social media arena is unchartered territory to most public safety and security organisations.