The Role of Social Media in Crisis Communication: A Case Analysis of Combating Disinformation and Communication in the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes

This study aims to examine the role of social media channels as an information gathering platform in order to develop effective crisis management strategies in the digital age. In this context, the study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the importance, effectiveness, and applicability of social media use in crisis communication. To achieve this, a qualitative research study was conducted through a case analysis of the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, investigating how social media was utilized as a crisis communication tool. Within the research, a total of 182 Twitter posts shared between February 6, 2023, and February 13, 2023, related to the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes were analyzed from the official Twitter account of the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) responsible for managing crisis-related disasters in Turkey (@AFADBaskanlik). The content analysis method was used for the analysis of social media posts, and the posts were analyzed based on content, frequency of sharing, and interaction rates. The findings indicate that AFAD's crisis communication posts can be categorized into four main themes: "disinformation and communication, announcements, information related to processes/operations, and support services." Additionally, findings reveal that the majority of Twitter posts were made during the period of high uncertainty surrounding the crisis, with the most shared content being related to search and rescue efforts. Another research objective was to determine the interaction rate, including user likes, comments, and shares, in response to AFAD's crisis communication messages. Accordingly, the noteworthy research finding is that the theme with the least number of AFAD posts, "disinformation and communication," received the highest user interaction rate, underscoring the transformative power of social media in crisis communication. In this context, the findings of this study, which focuses on the transformative power of social media in crisis communication, confirm that there is an increased need for users to turn to reliable communication channels and verified information/news sources during crises. Moreover, the study emphasizes the significant role of institutional social media accounts in combating messages containing false or misleading information (disinformation) during crisis communication.