Preparing for Disaster: Social Media Use for Household, Organizational, and Community Preparedness

Social media applications provide conduits for government agencies to promote disaster preparedness. This article illustrates the messaging strategies used by state-level emergency management agencies in the United States and addresses a range of social units (e.g., households, organizations, and communities). While agencies frequently disseminate guidance on how to prepare for emergencies, strategies generally align with traditional government-to-citizen, one-to-many communication modes characterized by little to no interaction with the public. This practice denies citizens deliberative conversation with government agencies and short circuits information from citizens and other organizations that might inform an agency's decision-making. Some interactive tactics observed, however, provide a roadmap to facilitate future dialogue and collaboration.