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Strategic Uses of Facebook in Zika Outbreak Communication: Implications for the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Model

Author

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  • May O. Lwin

    (Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637718, Singapore)

  • Jiahui Lu

    (Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637718, Singapore
    Division of Psychology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637332, Singapore)

  • Anita Sheldenkar

    (Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637718, Singapore)

  • Peter J. Schulz

    (Institute of Communication and Health, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland)

Abstract

While social media has been increasingly used for communication of infectious disease outbreaks, little is known about how social media can improve strategic communication across various stages of the health crisis. The Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Model (Reynolds & Seeger, 2005; CERC) outlines strategies across different crisis phases and can guide crisis communication on social media. This research therefore investigates how social media can be utilized to implement and adapt the CERC model, by examining the strategic uses of Facebook in communicating the recent Zika epidemic by health authorities in Singapore. Zika-related Facebook posts of three main Singapore health agencies published within the one year period from January 2016 to December 2016 were thematically analysed. Results suggest that Facebook was used to communicate the crisis strategically, which supported and added to the CERC model. Novel uses of Facebook for outbreak communication were demonstrated, including promoting public common responsibility for disease prevention and expressing regards to the public for cooperation. Results also suggested that preparedness messages might be the most effective, as they produced a great level of public engagement. The adaptability of the CERC model in social media contexts to improve crisis communication is discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • May O. Lwin & Jiahui Lu & Anita Sheldenkar & Peter J. Schulz, 2018. "Strategic Uses of Facebook in Zika Outbreak Communication: Implications for the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Model," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:9:p:1974-:d:168912
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Panagiotopoulos, Panos & Barnett, Julie & Bigdeli, Alinaghi Ziaee & Sams, Steven, 2016. "Social media in emergency management: Twitter as a tool for communicating risks to the public," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 86-96.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zoey Rosen & Channing Bice & Stephanie Scott, 2021. "Visualizing the Invisible: Visual-Based Design and Efficacy in Air Quality Messaging," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-18, October.
    2. Lei Jiang & Yujia Huang & Haonan Cheng & Ting Zhang & Lei Huang, 2021. "Emergency Response and Risk Communication Effects of Local Media during COVID-19 Pandemic in China: A Study Based on a Social Media Network," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-16, October.
    3. Shalini Upadhyay & Nitin Upadhyay, 2023. "Mapping crisis communication in the communication research: what we know and what we don’t know," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-19, December.
    4. Jiahui Lu & Meishan Zhang & Yan Zheng & Qiyu Li, 2021. "Communication of Uncertainty about Preliminary Evidence and the Spread of Its Inferred Misinformation during the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Weibo Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-17, November.
    5. Deborah Juarbe-Rey & Adriana Obén Pérez & Roberto Papo Christian P. Santoni & Melissa Ramírez Ramírez & Mildred Vera, 2018. "Using Risk Communication Strategies for Zika Virus Prevention and Control Driven by Community-Based Participatory Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-11, November.
    6. Afiq Izzudin A. Rahim & Mohd Ismail Ibrahim & Faizul Nizam A. Salim & Mohd Ariff Ikram Ariffin, 2019. "Health Information Engagement Factors in Malaysia: A Content Analysis of Facebook Use by the Ministry of Health in 2016 and 2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-11, February.
    7. Siqing Shan & Qi Yan & Yigang Wei, 2020. "Infectious or Recovered? Optimizing the Infectious Disease Detection Process for Epidemic Control and Prevention Based on Social Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-25, September.

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