A cross-hazard analysis of terse message retransmission on Twitter
Abstract
Online social networks (OSNs) enable time-resolved measurement of communication behavior during disasters, making it possible to probe the mechanisms by which messages are amplified or suppressed with precision unattainable by traditional data sources. To our knowledge, this research provides the first systematic study of the factors predicting the social amplification of risk communication in OSNs by examining the retransmission of official messages across five hazards. Our findings demonstrate the respective impacts of sender characteristics, message content, and message style in determining whether an official message will be passed on during an emergency, as well whether these vary across hazards. These results contribute to the evidence base for policies guiding the delivery by emergency management organizations of lifesaving information to the public.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 16, 2015
- Source ID
- 10.1073/pnas.1508916112
Entities
People
- Britta Johnson
- C. Ben Gibson
- Carter T. Butts
- Cedar League
- Emma S. Spiro
- Jeannette Sutton
- Nolan Edward Phillips
- Sean M. Fitzhugh
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- National Science Foundation
- University of California
- University of Colorado
- University of Kentucky
- University of Washington