Journal article
Facts, Not Fear: Negotiating Uncertainty on Social Media During the 2014 Ebola Crisis
Science communication, Vol.38(4), pp.442-467
08/2016
DOI: 10.1177/1075547016655546
Abstract
Trust in many government organizations is low, creating a challenging environment for communication during outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases, like Ebola. In a thematic analysis of 1,010 tweets and four Twitter chats during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak, we found that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasized organizational competence, extant protocol, and facts about transmission to manage public fear. We argue that an emphasis on certainty in a rapidly changing situation leaves organizations vulnerable to charges of unpreparedness or obfuscation. Our results also speak to the contested definition of engagement online, particularly during health crises.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Facts, Not Fear: Negotiating Uncertainty on Social Media During the 2014 Ebola Crisis
- Creators
- Kajsa E Dalrymple - University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USARachel Young - University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USAMelissa Tully - University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Science communication, Vol.38(4), pp.442-467
- DOI
- 10.1177/1075547016655546
- ISSN
- 1075-5470
- eISSN
- 1552-8545
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/2016
- Academic Unit
- Center for Social Science Innovation; Injury Prevention Research Center; Public Policy Center (Archive); School of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Record Identifier
- 9984083816302771
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