Should We Blame the Messenger? When Severe Weather Strikes, Social Media Mixed Messaging Can Lead to Missed Messaging.

• In Event: News Division - Top Paper Presentations

Abstract

This case study will examine whether mixed messaging on Twitter and Facebook by meteorologists and a utility company about a powerful storm heading for Connecticut in August 2021 led to an angry backlash by social media followers against both groups.

The study examined the words, punctuation and visual elements in posts by meteorologists and the utility company in the Hartford/New Haven market before, during and just after the storm.

The storm, named Henri, was difficult to forecast and track as it approached Connecticut. Meteorologists wrote that if it were to make landfall as the first Category 1 hurricane to strike the state in 36 years and head inland, it could lead to widespread devastation. If its path turned east and over the cold waters of Long Island Sound to Rhode Island, Henri might have little impact on the state. The storm ended up following the least-impact scenario for the state.

Our initial results show that social posts with alarming words, punctuation or images earned more retweets, likes, comments and shares than posts that contained straightforward information only or those that included cautions and historical context.

The backlash that came from users of the platforms said that the meteorologists scared them or “hyped” the storm. The question that we’re examining in the paper is whether the backlash was caused by the messages that were made by the local meteorologist and the utility company, and early findings indicate that the “alarming” posts did have greater traction on social media.

Authors

• Darren J Sweeney, Central Connecticut State University

• Katherine Farrish, Central Connecticut State University