Victims or conspirators? Understanding a hot-issue public's online reactions to a victim cluster crisis. Issue 3 (7th August 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Krishna, Arunima; Vibber, Kelly S.
• Is Part Of: Journal of communication management. Volume 21:Issue 3(2017)
• Page Start: 303
• Page End: 318
• Publication Date: 2017-08-07
• Subjects: Digital media -- Corporate communication -- Social media -- Methodology -- Crisis communication -- Public opinion -- Electronic media; Communication in management -- Periodicals; Communication in marketing -- Periodicals; Business communication -- Periodicals; 658.45
• DOI: 10.1108/JCOM-08-2016-0067
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1363-254X

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively understand the reactions of online publics to a victim cluster crisis as the crisis unfolds and offer a new way of tracking online hot-issue publics using comments on online news articles. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses a mixed-methods approach, employing both descriptive quantitative techniques and qualitative thematic analysis. Findings: Qualitative analyses of online news comments on BuzzFeed and the Huffington Post revealed that publics' reaction to the cyber-attack on Sony, the following threats of attack, and Sony's response to it largely ran counter to the situational crisis communication theory's (SCCT) assumptions about victim cluster crises. Analyses also revealed a pattern in the volume of comments on the two online news outlets, supporting the conceptualization of hot-issue publics growing and decreasing as news coverage of an issue rises and falls. Research limitations/implications: The analysis was limited to one incident and two online media. Practical implications: This paper provides empirical support for the use of online news comments to track hot-issue publics and what is important to them. In addition, tracking the tone and content of the comments allows for an examination of the fit of SCCT assumptions and provides a way for practitioners to understand public opinion and adapt communication plans based on insights gleaned from such data. Originality/value: This study is one of few to provide empirical support for the conceptualization of hot-issue publics, and to do so using online news comments. In addition, it is one of very few to study the SCCT in real-world settings, examining real publics' reactions to real issues.