The characteristics and functionalities of citizen-led disaster response through social media: A case study of the #HenanFloodsRelief on Sina Weibo

Abstract

Using the topic of #HenanFloodRelief on Sina Weibo during the 2021 Henan floods as a case study, this research adopts a combination of social network analysis, content analysis, and text analysis to explore the characteristics and roles of public participation in disaster response through social media. The findings show that under the #HenanFloodRelief topic, the public was mainly involved in emergency response by posting help and rescue information, updating disaster information, and providing contact details for resource coordination. They also expressed emotions to reflect post-disaster social psychology, providing an emotional basis for social mobilization. Public and organizational participation demonstrated different characteristics, exhibiting the advantages of spontaneity and firsthand information. In contrast, organizational participation reflected professionalism and played a more significant role in providing emotional comfort and mobilization. The research demonstrates the vital role of social media in enabling public participation in disaster response while pointing out the potential risks of the public utilizing information resources for online relief efforts, highlighting the need for further research into effective information verification methods. This study provides a Chinese case to examine public participation in disaster response and offers insights into this field of research.