The Role of Social Media in Crisis Communication during COVID-19 Period

Research Article
Open access

The Role of Social Media in Crisis Communication during COVID-19 Period

Yi Huang 1*
  • 1 Macau university of science and technology, Macau, China, 999078    
  • *corresponding author axelhwang@outlook.com
LNEP Vol.4
ISSN (Print): 2753-7056
ISSN (Online): 2753-7048
ISBN (Print): 978-1-915371-33-1
ISBN (Online): 978-1-915371-34-8

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause great impact on countries around the world. During this health crisis, political communication is crucial as the government’s ability to govern is challenged and it needs to make timely decisions that will affect a large number of people based on the spread of the virus. COVID-19 is changing the way people interact with each other, and social media is playing a more important role in people’s social life than ever before. Due to its convenience in obtaining information and its widespread application, social media has become an important channel for the government and the public to participate in crisis management. From the perspective of social-mediated crisis communication (SMCC) and media richness, this paper mainly analyzes the roles of social media in COVID-19 crisis communication from the aspects of communication efficiency, social solidarity, information epidemic and celebrity effects, thereby providing the government with recommendations for a more comprehensive understanding and employment of social media in COVID-19 crisis communication.

Keywords:

social media, COVID-19, information, social-mediated crisis communication

Huang,Y. (2023). The Role of Social Media in Crisis Communication during COVID-19 Period. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,4,887-893.
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References

[1]. Sandoval-Almazan R., and Valle-Cruz D., (2021) Social media use in government health agencies: The COVID-19 impact, IP, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 459–475, doi: 10.3233/IP-210326.

[2]. Veil S.R., Buehner T., and Palenchar M.J., (2011) A Work-In-Process Literature Review: Incorporating Social Media in Risk and Crisis Communication, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 110–122, doi: 10.1111/j.1468-5973.2011.00639.x.

[3]. Splendiani S., and Capriello A., (2022) Crisis communication, social media and natural disasters - the use of Twitter by local governments during the 2016 Italian earthquake, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 509–526, doi: 10.1108/CCIJ-03-2021-0036.

[4]. Zhang X., and Huang R., (2021) The role of social media in public crisis governance, E3S Web Conf., vol. 253, pp. 01066, doi: 10.1051/e3sconf/202125301066.

[5]. Saud M., Mashud M., and Ida R., (2020) Usage of social media during the pandemic: Seeking support and awareness about COVID-19 through social media platforms, Journal of Public Affairs, vol. 20, no. 4, p. e2417, doi: 10.1002/pa.2417.

[6]. Lu G., Lu L., Li Y., and Wang C., (2021) Nowcasting based on topic type: Using social media to predict the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, Chinese Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, no. 4, pp. 93–117.

[7]. Li Y., Chandra Y., and Kapucu N., (2020) Crisis Coordination and the Role of Social Media in Response to COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, The American Review of Public Administration, vol. 50, no. 6–7, pp. 698–705, doi: 10.1177/0275074020942105.

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[9]. London J., and Matthews K., (2022) Crisis communication on social media - lessons from Covid-19, Journal of Decision Systems, vol. 31, no. 1–2, pp. 150–170, doi: 10.1080/12460125.2021.1926612.

[10]. Gottlieb M., and Dyer S., (2020) Information and Disinformation: Social Media in the COVID-19 Crisis, Academic Emergency Medicine, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 640–641, doi: 10.1111/acem.14036.

[11]. Sylvester S.M., (2021) COVID-19 and Motivated Reasoning: The Influence of Knowledge on COVID-Related Policy and Health Behavior, Social Science Quarterly, vol. 102, no. 5, pp. 2341–2359, doi: 10.1111/ssqu.12989.

[12]. Zhao N., and Zhou G., (2020) Social Media Use and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderator Role of Disaster Stressor and Mediator Role of Negative Affect, Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 1019–1038, doi: 10.1111/aphw.12226.

[13]. Hart P.S., Chinn S., and Soroka S., (2020) Politicization and Polarization in COVID-19 News Coverage, Science Communication, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 679–697, doi: 10.1177/1075547020950735.

[14]. Koeze E., and Popper N., (2020) The Virus Changed the Way We Internet. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html.

[15]. Geloso V., (2021) Conceptualizing the Cost of COVID Policy: The Role of Institutional Trade-Offs, The Economists’ Voice, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 129–136, doi: 10.1515/ev-2021-0020.

[16]. Austin L., Fisher Liu, and Jin Y., (2012) How Audiences Seek Out Crisis Information: Exploring the Social-Mediated Crisis Communication Model, Journal of Applied Communication Research, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 188–207, May, doi: 10.1080/00909882.2012.654498.

[17]. Murray S.R., and Peyrefitte J., (2007) Knowledge Type and Communication Media Choice in the Knowledge Transfer Process, Journal of Managerial Issues: JMI, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 111-133.

[18]. People.cn, (2021) 2020 Annual report of the impact of Chinese government Sina Weibo accounts [Online]. Available: http://download.people.com.cn/yuqing/eleven16115670881.pdf.

[19]. MASTROFSKI S.D., SNIPES J.B., and SUPINA A.E., (1996) Compliance on Demand: The Public’s Response to Specific Police Requests, J. Res. Crime & Delinquency, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 269–305.

[20]. Bargain O., and Aminjonov U., (2020) Trust and compliance to public health policies in times of COVID-19, J Public Econ, vol. 192, pp. 104316, doi: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104316.

[21]. Two Years and Thousands of Voices: What Community-Generated Data Tells Us About Anti-AAPI Hate, Stop AAPI Hate, Jul. 2022. [Online]. Available: https://stopaapihate.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Stop-AAPI-Hate-Year-2-Report.pdf.

[22]. Levin B., Perst K., Venolia A., and Levin G. (2022) Report to the Nation: 2020s – Dawn of a Decade of Rising Hate, Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. [Online]. Available: https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/2022-08/Report%20To%20The%20Nation8-4-22.pdf.

Cite this article

Huang,Y. (2023). The Role of Social Media in Crisis Communication during COVID-19 Period. Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media,4,887-893.

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About volume

Volume title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Humanities and Communication Studies (ICIHCS 2022), Part 3

ISBN：978-1-915371-33-1(Print) / 978-1-915371-34-8(Online)
Editor：Muhammad Idrees, Matilde Lafuente-Lechuga
Conference website: https://www.icihcs.org/
Conference date: 18 December 2022
Series: Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
Volume number: Vol.4
ISSN：2753-7048(Print) / 2753-7056(Online)

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References

[1]. Sandoval-Almazan R., and Valle-Cruz D., (2021) Social media use in government health agencies: The COVID-19 impact, IP, vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 459–475, doi: 10.3233/IP-210326.

[2]. Veil S.R., Buehner T., and Palenchar M.J., (2011) A Work-In-Process Literature Review: Incorporating Social Media in Risk and Crisis Communication, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 110–122, doi: 10.1111/j.1468-5973.2011.00639.x.

[3]. Splendiani S., and Capriello A., (2022) Crisis communication, social media and natural disasters - the use of Twitter by local governments during the 2016 Italian earthquake, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 27, no. 3, pp. 509–526, doi: 10.1108/CCIJ-03-2021-0036.

[4]. Zhang X., and Huang R., (2021) The role of social media in public crisis governance, E3S Web Conf., vol. 253, pp. 01066, doi: 10.1051/e3sconf/202125301066.

[5]. Saud M., Mashud M., and Ida R., (2020) Usage of social media during the pandemic: Seeking support and awareness about COVID-19 through social media platforms, Journal of Public Affairs, vol. 20, no. 4, p. e2417, doi: 10.1002/pa.2417.

[6]. Lu G., Lu L., Li Y., and Wang C., (2021) Nowcasting based on topic type: Using social media to predict the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, Chinese Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, no. 4, pp. 93–117.

[7]. Li Y., Chandra Y., and Kapucu N., (2020) Crisis Coordination and the Role of Social Media in Response to COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, The American Review of Public Administration, vol. 50, no. 6–7, pp. 698–705, doi: 10.1177/0275074020942105.

[8]. Fissi S., Gori E., and Romolini A., (2022) Social media government communication and stakeholder engagement in the era of Covid-19: evidence from Italy, IJPSM, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 276–293, doi: 10.1108/IJPSM-06-2021-0145.

[9]. London J., and Matthews K., (2022) Crisis communication on social media - lessons from Covid-19, Journal of Decision Systems, vol. 31, no. 1–2, pp. 150–170, doi: 10.1080/12460125.2021.1926612.

[10]. Gottlieb M., and Dyer S., (2020) Information and Disinformation: Social Media in the COVID-19 Crisis, Academic Emergency Medicine, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 640–641, doi: 10.1111/acem.14036.

[11]. Sylvester S.M., (2021) COVID-19 and Motivated Reasoning: The Influence of Knowledge on COVID-Related Policy and Health Behavior, Social Science Quarterly, vol. 102, no. 5, pp. 2341–2359, doi: 10.1111/ssqu.12989.

[12]. Zhao N., and Zhou G., (2020) Social Media Use and Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderator Role of Disaster Stressor and Mediator Role of Negative Affect, Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 1019–1038, doi: 10.1111/aphw.12226.

[13]. Hart P.S., Chinn S., and Soroka S., (2020) Politicization and Polarization in COVID-19 News Coverage, Science Communication, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 679–697, doi: 10.1177/1075547020950735.

[14]. Koeze E., and Popper N., (2020) The Virus Changed the Way We Internet. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html.

[15]. Geloso V., (2021) Conceptualizing the Cost of COVID Policy: The Role of Institutional Trade-Offs, The Economists’ Voice, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 129–136, doi: 10.1515/ev-2021-0020.

[16]. Austin L., Fisher Liu, and Jin Y., (2012) How Audiences Seek Out Crisis Information: Exploring the Social-Mediated Crisis Communication Model, Journal of Applied Communication Research, vol. 40, no. 2, pp. 188–207, May, doi: 10.1080/00909882.2012.654498.

[17]. Murray S.R., and Peyrefitte J., (2007) Knowledge Type and Communication Media Choice in the Knowledge Transfer Process, Journal of Managerial Issues: JMI, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 111-133.

[18]. People.cn, (2021) 2020 Annual report of the impact of Chinese government Sina Weibo accounts [Online]. Available: http://download.people.com.cn/yuqing/eleven16115670881.pdf.

[19]. MASTROFSKI S.D., SNIPES J.B., and SUPINA A.E., (1996) Compliance on Demand: The Public’s Response to Specific Police Requests, J. Res. Crime & Delinquency, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 269–305.

[20]. Bargain O., and Aminjonov U., (2020) Trust and compliance to public health policies in times of COVID-19, J Public Econ, vol. 192, pp. 104316, doi: 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2020.104316.

[21]. Two Years and Thousands of Voices: What Community-Generated Data Tells Us About Anti-AAPI Hate, Stop AAPI Hate, Jul. 2022. [Online]. Available: https://stopaapihate.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Stop-AAPI-Hate-Year-2-Report.pdf.

[22]. Levin B., Perst K., Venolia A., and Levin G. (2022) Report to the Nation: 2020s – Dawn of a Decade of Rising Hate, Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. [Online]. Available: https://www.csusb.edu/sites/default/files/2022-08/Report%20To%20The%20Nation8-4-22.pdf.

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