Sharing Nuclear Accident Online: A Comparison of Risk Information Sharing Between Korea and the US

• In Event: Risk Information and Risk Behaviors

Abstract

Considering the critical role of sharing news in online communication, this study explores the different direct and moderate effects of social cues within online content, and the risk levels presented in news story in the process of online news sharing in two countries. In terms of risk communication (Fukushima nuclear disaster in this study), it seems that people in South Korea seem to be more influenced by the risk levels depicted in news story while people in the United States tend to be more affected by presented social cues within the news shared through social media. Our analyses are based on an online experiment embedded in an online survey.

Authors

• Jiyoun Kim, University of Kenctucky

• Kang Namkoong, University of Kentucky