Media, Emergency Warnings, and Citizen Response

This is an examination of three types of warning channels - mass communications media, public officials and social networks - in eliciting community response to a natural or technological emergency. It explores how the source of a warning affects citizen behaviour by analyzing data on citizen response in two emergency settings - one natural and one technological - and discusses factors associated with the credibility of warning sources. The book draws together conclusions concerning the roles of officials, communications media and social networks in response and preparedness phases of disaster management, and identifies potential partnership roles of disaster managers and the media.