Social Media Messages in an Emerging Health Crisis: Tweeting Bird Flu

• In Event: Social Media and Health Communication

Abstract

Limited research has examined the information produced about health-related crises on social media platforms and whether these messages contain information that would allow individuals to make sense of a crisis and respond effectively. This study uses the CERC framework to evaluate the content of messages sent via Twitter soon after China announced the first case of the H7N9 virus in April 2013. Using a content analysis method, a sample of tweets produced between April 10 and April 18 were analyzed. The study found that a large proportion of messages contained sense-making information. However, few messages contained self-efficacy information. Implications and recommendations for future study are discussed.

Authors

• Sarah Vos, University of Kentucky

• Marjorie Buckner, University of Kentucky