title: A cross-hazard analysis of terse message retransmission on Twitter.
abstract: For decades, public warning messages have been relayed via broadcast information channels, including radio and television; more recently, risk communication channels have expanded to include social media sites, where messages can be easily amplified by user retransmission. This research examines the factors that predict the extent of retransmission for official hazard communications disseminated via Twitter. Using data from events involving five different hazards, we identity three types of attributes--local network properties, message content, and message style--that jointly amplify and/or attenuate the retransmission of official communications under imminent threat. We find that the use of an agreed-upon hashtag and the number of users following an official account positively influence message retransmission, as does message content describing hazard impacts or emphasizing cohesion among users. By contrast, messages directed at individuals, expressing gratitude, or including a URL were less widely disseminated than similar messages without these features. Our findings suggest that some measures commonly taken to convey additional information to the public (e.g., URL inclusion) may come at a cost in terms of message amplification; on the other hand, some types of content not traditionally emphasized in guidance on hazard communication may enhance retransmission rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Communication, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506;
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697;
authors.forename: C Ben
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697;
authors.forename: Nolan Edward
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Information School, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195;
authors.forename: Emma S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Spiro
authors.affiliation: Trauma, Health and Hazards Center, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 80918;
authors.forename: Cedar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: League
authors.affiliation: Trauma, Health and Hazards Center, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 80918;
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697;
authors.forename: Sean M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fitzhugh
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697; Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697; Institute for Mathematical and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 buttsc@uci.edu.
authors.forename: Carter T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Butts
mesh_terms: D002959:Civil Defense / Q000379:methods*; D003142:Communication; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004189:Disaster Planning; D005390:Fires; D055868:Floods; D006801:Humans; D012106:Research; D012914:Snow; D061108:Social Media; D023481:Terrorism; D060145:Text Messaging
keywords: communication; disaster; retransmission; social media; warning