Social Media in Crisis Communication: A Case Analysis of the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes

Abstract

This study examines the role of Twitter/X, a news platform, in crisis communication. The aim of the study is to contribute to the literature on crisis communication by understanding the importance, effectiveness, and applicability of social media. For this purpose, a qualitative research was conducted to determine how X was used as a communication tool during crises, specifically focusing on a case analysis of the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes. Within the scope of the research, 182 tweets shared between February 6th and 13th, 2023, from the official X account of the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), were examined. Content analysis method was employed to analyze the tweets, focusing on content, frequency of sharing, and interaction rate. The research findings indicate that AFAD's tweets were categorized into four main themes: "information on processes, support services, announcements, and disinformation and communication." The findings suggest that the posts were predominantly made during the initial period of the crisis characterized by high uncertainty, with the most shared content focusing on search and rescue operations. Another research objective was to determine the interaction rate of AFAD's crisis communication messages. Accordingly, it is noteworthy that the theme with the least frequency of sharing, "disinformation and communication," received the highest interaction from users. The findings of this study, which focuses on the transformative power of social media in crisis communication, confirm that the need for reliable communication channels and verified information/sources increases during crises, and it confirms the significant role of institutional social media accounts in combating disinformation.