The document discusses crisis communication on Twitter during the 2011 Queensland floods in Australia. It provides an overview of research conducted by the ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation at Queensland University of Technology on social media use during crises. The research analyzed tweet volume, retweets, URLs shared, hashtags, and content to understand how Twitter was used to share information and build community resilience during the floods. Case studies examined authorities' use of Twitter, including the Queensland Police Service, and how they leveraged the platform to provide accurate information and debunk rumors.

1. Crisis Communication on Twitter
Enterprise Risk Management for Government 2012
Jean Burgess & Axel Bruns
ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries & Innovation
Queensland University of Technology
http://mappingonlinepublics.net

2. Crisis Communication Research at QUT
o ARC Centre of Excellence for
Creative Industries & Innovation
(national, based at QUT)
o Project: Media Ecologies &
Methodological Innovation
o New methods to understand the
changing media environment;
o Role of social media, especially
Twitter
o Focus on Crisis Communication eg
#qldfloods
o Partnerships with government,
media orgs (eg ARC Linkage with
DCS, Eidos)
http://cci.edu.au/floodsreport.pdf

3. #qldfloods study
• Volume of tweets over time
• @replies and retweets: key actors and their networks
• URLs: key media resources, user-uploaded images and videos
• Content analysis: themes and purposes over time
Flickr: Jono Haysom

4. Social Media during Crises
• Various platforms:
– Facebook, Twitter – updates and information
– YouTube, Flickr, Twitpic – first-hand video and photos
– Google Maps, Ushahidi – map-based information mashups
Different tools for different purposes
• Various levels of maturity:
– Uses and use practices still developing
– Different demographic reach
• Technological differences:
– e.g. Facebook: built around personal networks; semi-private; discussion
threads
– e.g. Twitter: open, flat network; public #hashtag conversations; update
stream

5. Why Twitter?
• Significant world-wide social network
• ~200 million users (but how many active?)
– ~2 million users in Australia
• Varied range of uses: building out from intimate, everyday
communication to public emergency coordination
• Flat and open network structure:
non-reciprocal following, public profiles by default
• Hashtags as a flexible, ad hoc response mechanism
• Good API for gathering data for research and operational use
 How can Twitter be used for crisis information and community
resilience?

6. The Australian Twittersphere?
Follower/followee network:
~120,000 Australian Twitter users
(of ~950,000 known accounts by early 2012)
colour = outdegree, size = indegree

7. Real Estate
Jobs
Property
HR
Thematic Business
Parenting
Clusters Business Mums Craft
Design
Social Media Property Arts
Web
Creative Tech Food
Perth PR Wine
Marketing / PR Advertising
IT
Beer
Tech
Creative
Social
Design
ICTs
NGOs Fashion
Utilities
Farming Social Policy Beauty
Services
Agriculture Net Culture
Adelaide
Opinion Books Theatre
Greens News Literature Film Arts
Publishing
ALP
Hardline Progressives
News @KRuddMP
Conservatives
@JuliaGillard Radio
Conservatives TV Music
Journalists Triple J
Talkback
Dance
Breakfast TV
Hip Hop
Cycling Celebrities
Union
Evangelicals Swimming
NRL V8s
Football Teens
Christians
Cricket Teaching Hillsong
AFL e-Learning
Schools Jonas Bros.
Beliebers

8. #qldfloods
Follower/followee network:
~120,000 Australian Twitter users
(of ~950,000 known accounts by early 2012)
colour = #qldfloods tweets, size = indegree

9. #qldfloods Tweets
10 Jan 2011 11 Jan 2011 12 Jan 2011 13 Jan 2011 14 Jan 2011 15 Jan 2011

10. #qldfloods from Toowoomba to Brisbane
10 Jan 2011 11 Jan 2011 12 Jan 2011 13 Jan 2011 14 Jan 2011 15 Jan 2011

11. #qldfloods @mentions
authorities
mainstream
media

12. Major Information Sources Remain Important
@sunriseon7
@couriermail
@612brisbane
@QPSMedia
@abcnews

13. Crises on Twitter: Find, Share, Retweet

14. Most-shared URLs by category

16. QPS Media Case Study
• With Kate Crawford, Frances Shaw (UNSW) – see
full report at http://cci.edu.au/floodsreport.pdf
• Manual thematic content analysis
• Drawing on existing crisis communications
literature
• All #qldfloods tweets containing “@qpsmedia”
• Baseline comparison: 5% of all #qldfloods tweets

17. Content Patterns: #qldfloods vs. @QPSMedia

18. @QPSmedia as Information Source

19. RT @QPSmedia: Anyone living near Lockyer creek should
IMMEDIATELY evacuate to higher ground #thebigwet #qldfloods

20. RT @QPSmedia: Please remember your elderly and infirm
neighbours as this flooding crisis continues #thebigwet
#qldfloods

21. RT @QPSmedia please stop sightseeing along Kingsford Smith
Drive. Water rising quickly you'll be stranded
RT @QPSmedia: Do NOT spread rumours. The 2-hourly media
conferences have correct info. Wivenhoe dam is ABSOLUTELY
safe #QldFloods #TheBigWet

22. RT @couriermail: Unconfirmed reports Central Station in
Brisbane closing at 2pm today. Advise to leave CBD. #qldfloods
RT @ibeau: All public transport in the CBD has been stopped
#qldfloods #thebigwet

23. RT @QPSmedia: Flood myth buster #6: Brisbane CBD is NOT
being evacuated
RT @QPSmedia: Flood myth buster #7: public transport is not
closing down at 2pm in the Brisbane CBD

24. a gentle reminder that there are lots of speculation getting
around twitter re #qldfloods @QPSmedia is def worth checking
for accuracy
In order to prevent mistruths and speculation follow
@qpsmedia and @612brisbane #qldfloods

25. @QPSmedia Thank you for using twitter to keep everyone up to
date. And for clearing up all the misinformation so quickly
#qldfloods
Follow @QPSmedia for correct and constant information.
Especially for those directly affected. Doing a great job.
#qldfloods

27. • QPSMedia embracing social media in a more sophisticated way (Twitter’s
specific culture and norms, mythbusting tweets, playfulness,
personalisation)
• Legitimation of social media via „official‟ uptake
• Further institutional change (tied to broader „Gov 2.0‟) initiatives etc
• Push for better „trust‟ and „location-aware‟ systems...