Social Media Analysis during Jeddah?s Flood Period 2009-2018

Abstract

Effective communication is crucial in times of organizational crisis. Sharing information efficiently before, during, and in the aftermath of the crisis is essential in mitigating its probable impacts. The main actors in the crisis communication and management process are the public and the government. However, the specific roles of these key actors are not explicitly defined. The current study seeks to investigate the engagement of the government and the public in social media platforms, after the Jeddah floods that were reported in the year 2009 and 2011. Information drawn from Facebook posts and Twitter tweets was subjected to qualitative content analysis to comprehend the views of the users of the platforms. From the analysis, it was observed that public communication during the crisis primarily focused on providing details about the scope, background, causes, and potential solutions to the situation. Additionally, the study found a notable prevalence of multimedia attachments, such as photos and videos, in social media posts. In conclusion, the research determined that the public played a pivotal role in crisis communication during and after the Jeddah floods

Keywords

• jeddah
• floods
• crisis
• communication
• social media.