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The Impacts of Contextual Factors on Social Media Crises : Implications for crisis communication strategy selection

Zhao, Hui LU (2017) In International Journal of Strategic Communication 11(1). p.42-60
Abstract
The prescriptive approach to crisis communication strategy (CCS) selection has long been criticized for lack of flexibility and adaptability. To address this issue, this study proposes an emergent approach to strategy formulation by focusing on contextual impacts on social media crises and their implications for CCS. An online discussion on Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform, about a high-profile homicide in a McDonald’s restaurant, is taken as the case. Based on a multidisciplinary theoretical framework that consists of the theory of rhetorical arena and framing theory, an inductive framing analysis of 100 top forwarded posts indicates a complex negotiation process among multiple crisis communicators through various crisis... (More)
The prescriptive approach to crisis communication strategy (CCS) selection has long been criticized for lack of flexibility and adaptability. To address this issue, this study proposes an emergent approach to strategy formulation by focusing on contextual impacts on social media crises and their implications for CCS. An online discussion on Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform, about a high-profile homicide in a McDonald’s restaurant, is taken as the case. Based on a multidisciplinary theoretical framework that consists of the theory of rhetorical arena and framing theory, an inductive framing analysis of 100 top forwarded posts indicates a complex negotiation process among multiple crisis communicators through various crisis frames. The results suggest that selection of CCS should be from contextually based behavior through investigating interaction among multiple crisis communicators and examining the contexts in which crises are situated. This study also contributes to advancing the CCS selection model of Situational Crisis Communication Theory by integrating contextual factors. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
strategic communication, crisis communication, social media, contexts, emergent, China
in
International Journal of Strategic Communication
volume
11
issue
1
pages
19 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:85006087861
ISSN
1553-1198
DOI
10.1080/1553118X.2016.1244061
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
75594e9d-2be3-4e27-98ca-873681830c99
date added to LUP
2016-10-04 18:44:33
date last changed
2022-04-24 18:10:12
@article{75594e9d-2be3-4e27-98ca-873681830c99,
  abstract     = {{The prescriptive approach to crisis communication strategy (CCS) selection has long been criticized for lack of flexibility and adaptability. To address this issue, this study proposes an emergent approach to strategy formulation by focusing on contextual impacts on social media crises and their implications for CCS. An online discussion on Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging platform, about a high-profile homicide in a McDonald’s restaurant, is taken as the case. Based on a multidisciplinary theoretical framework that consists of the theory of rhetorical arena and framing theory, an inductive framing analysis of 100 top forwarded posts indicates a complex negotiation process among multiple crisis communicators through various crisis frames. The results suggest that selection of CCS should be from contextually based behavior through investigating interaction among multiple crisis communicators and examining the contexts in which crises are situated. This study also contributes to advancing the CCS selection model of Situational Crisis Communication Theory by integrating contextual factors.}},
  author       = {{Zhao, Hui}},
  issn         = {{1553-1198}},
  keywords     = {{strategic communication; crisis communication; social media; contexts; emergent; China}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{42--60}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Strategic Communication}},
  title        = {{The Impacts of Contextual Factors on Social Media Crises : Implications for crisis communication strategy selection}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1553118X.2016.1244061}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/1553118X.2016.1244061}},
  volume       = {{11}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}