|
Amirah M. Majid, & Emma S. Spiro. (2016). Crisis in a Foreign Language: Emergency Services and Limited English Populations. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings ? 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Abstract: Social media are increasingly used by emergency responders as part of the communication infrastructure during crisis. As such, it is important to understand how these new technologies offer opportunities and barriers to information access for population affected during crisis events. In particular, this project explores the extent to which Twitter is used to provide emergency-related information to vulnerable populations both during routine and crisis contexts. We look longitudinally, across four years, at the online information and communication behaviors of official emergency responders in the United States. Our results demonstrate a notable lack of cross-language crisis communication on social media. We discuss the practical implications of these results, and offer directions for future work and improvement of practices.
|
|
|
Jeannette N. Sutton, Emma S. Spiro, Britta Johnson, Sean M. Fitzhugh, Mathew Greczek, & Carter T. Butts. (2012). Connected communications: Network structures of official communications in a technological disaster. In Z.Franco J. R. L. Rothkrantz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2012 Conference Proceedings – 9th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Vancouver, BC: Simon Fraser University.
Abstract: Informal online communication channels are being utilized for official communications in disaster contexts. Channels such as networked microblogging enable public officials to broadcast messages as well as engage in direct communication exchange with individuals. Here we investigate online information exchange behaviors of a set of state and federal organizations during the Deepwater Horizon 2010 oil spill disaster. Using data from the popular microblogging service Twitter, we analyze the roles individual organizations play in the dissemination of information to the general public online, and the conversational microstructure of official posts. We discuss characteristics and features of following networks, centrality, and conversational dynamics that may affect information exchange in disaster. This research provides insight into the use of networked communications during an event of heightened public concern, describes implications of conversational features, and suggests directions for future research. © 2012 ISCRAM.
|
|
|
Jeannette N. Sutton, Emma S. Spiro, Sean M. Fitzhugh, Britta Johnson, Ben Gibson, & Carter T. Butts. (2014). Terse message amplification in the Boston bombing response. In and P.C. Shih. L. Plotnick M. S. P. S.R. Hiltz (Ed.), ISCRAM 2014 Conference Proceedings – 11th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (pp. 612–621). University Park, PA: The Pennsylvania State University.
Abstract: On the morning of April 15, 2013, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, resulting in a large number of casualties. This generated a week-long response under the US National Incident Management System. In this paper, we examine online, terse messages broadcast by responding organizations and their amplification by other official entities via retransmission. Content analysis of official messages shows strong similarities with posting patterns previously observed in response to natural hazards, with the primary exception of themes related to the criminal investigation, suggesting a possible revision of guidelines for public information in light of the needs arising from extended counterterrorism operations undertaken in an urban environment. Network analysis demonstrates message posting and amplification were dominated by local actors, underscoring the importance of local readiness for management of official public information activities in the context of extremely high-profile events.
|
|
|
Tom Wilson, Stephanie A. Stanek, Emma S. Spiro, & Kate Starbird. (2017). Language Limitations in Rumor Research? Comparing French and English Tweets Sent During the 2015 Paris Attacks. In eds Aurélie Montarnal Matthieu Lauras Chihab Hanachi F. B. Tina Comes (Ed.), Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response And Management (pp. 546–553). Albi, France: Iscram.
Abstract: The ubiquity of social media facilitates widespread participation in crises. As individuals converge online to understand a developing situation, rumors can emerge. Little is currently known about how online rumoring behavior varies by language. Exploring a rumor from the 2015 Paris Attacks, we investigate Twitter rumoring behaviors across two languages: French, the primary language of the affected population; and English, the dominant language of Internet communication. We utilize mixed methods to qualitatively code and quantitatively analyze rumoring behaviors across French and English language tweets. Most interestingly, temporal engagement in the rumor varies across languages, but proportions of tweets affirming and denying a rumor are very similar. Analyzing tweet deletions and retweet counts, we find slight (but not significant) differences between languages. This work offers insight into potential limitations of previous research of online rumoring, which often focused exclusively on English language content, and demonstrates the importance of considering language in future work.
|
|