Abstract
Prolonged crises present complex challenges for public communication. Unlike sudden disasters that demand immediate responses, prolonged crises unfold gradually, with public stress accumulating and social media discourse evolving accordingly. However, little theory-driven work has examined how discourse develops across crisis stages. This study examines the evolution of public discourse across various phases of a prolonged crisis, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a context. We analyzed Facebook messages from January 2020 to April 2022, applying the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model to map discourse into three crisis stages: Pre-Crisis, Initial Event, and Combined Maintenance and Resolution. Findings reveal that public discussions shifted from preventative measures and viral impacts to broader concerns about emerging variants. Variant upward phases featured more focused and interconnected discussions, while downward phases exhibited more varied conversations. Results highlight the need for phase-tailored communication strategies to mitigate anxiety, foster trust, and counter misinformation in prolonged crises.
Recommended Citation
Jiang, Wenting (Kayla); Gupta, Ashish; and Li, Han, "A Multi-Method Analysis of the Evolution of Social Media Discourse in Prolonged Crises: through the Lens of Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)" (2025). Proceedings of the 2025 Pre-ICIS SIGDSA Symposium. 37.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/sigdsa2025/37