Disaster Warnings in Your Pocket: How Audiences Interpret Mobile Alerts for an Unfamiliar Hazard

This study investigates how people interpret Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) and Twitter‐length messages (‘tweets’) delivered over mobile devices for an unfamiliar hazard. Specifically, through four (N = 31) focus groups and 31 think‐out‐loud interviews, participants’ understanding of, belief in an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of contingencies and crisis management 2016-09, Vol.24 (3), p.136-147
Main Authors: Bean, Hamilton, Liu, Brooke F., Madden, Stephanie, Sutton, Jeannette, Wood, Michele M., Mileti, Dennis S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Audiences
Communication
Emergency communications systems
Group research
Information communication
Risk communication
Studies
Theory formation
Wireless communication systems
Wireless communications
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Summary:This study investigates how people interpret Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) and Twitter‐length messages (‘tweets’) delivered over mobile devices for an unfamiliar hazard. Specifically, through four (N = 31) focus groups and 31 think‐out‐loud interviews, participants’ understanding of, belief in and personalisation of WEAs and tweets were assessed for a mock improvised nuclear device detonation in a major U.S. metropolitan area. While participants offered a wide variety of interpretations, WEAs and tweets were often deemed confusing, difficult to believe and impersonal. Participants also consistently found WEAs and tweets to be fear inducing and uninformative. The findings compel improvements in the way that WEAs and tweets are currently written, as well as indicate future directions for applied risk and crisis communication theory development.
ISSN:0966-0879
1468-5973
DOI:10.1111/1468-5973.12108