Burning through information: An investigation of information sources and information seeking behavior during 2020 Oregon wildfires

Abstract

A series of wildfires in Oregon in 2020 resulted in severe human and property losses. Given the stressful and time-sensitive nature of such events, providing timely information to people during extreme weather events like wildfires can be challenging. Understanding individuals' most-frequently-used information sources along with their information seeking behaviors can help communicators to target audiences and effectively communicate emergency information. A quantitative study was conducted to explore the information sources Oregon residents frequently used during 2020 wildfire season along with the factors underlying their information seeking behaviors. The results indicated television news was the most frequently used information source by the respondents, followed by the National Weather Service. Rural and urban/suburban residents varied on their reliance on friends, family, and neighbors as information sources during the wildfires. Additionally, risk awareness, community type, emotional response to climate change, media trust, and age significantly predicted the information seeking behaviors of Oregon residents during the 2020 wildfire season. Those involved in communicating information during emergencies should be mindful of their audiences’ information source use and create messages for sources most likely to be relied upon. The implications of this research are useful for stakeholders dealing with emergency communication and management to better understand the public and their information needs and behaviors during emergencies.