Emotional Tweeters: What Causes Individuals to React During a Crisis? A Mixed-Methodological Analysis Examining Crisis Response Tweets to the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting

Author

Gabriel John Fiore III, Seton Hall UniversityFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-21-2018

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA Public Relations

Department

Communication and the Arts

Advisor

Kristen A. Koehler, Ed.D.

Committee Member

Renee Robinson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Ruth Tsuria, Ph.D.

Keywords

public relations, crisis, communication, emotions, stoneman douglas, reaction

Abstract

All entities and individuals can use, design or generate content appealing to emotions to maximize message saturation, audience reach, and engagement on Twitter during a crisis. The purpose of this study was to identify which specific emotion(s) yielded the highest engagement during the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting. Specifically, tweets conveying the emotional appeals of fear, anger, empathy, and advocacy were measured in terms of average likes, retweets, replies, and overall engagement using a content analysis and the constant comparative method. Results revealed which emotional appeal(s) yield the most likes, retweets, replies, and overall engagement with tweets.

Recommended Citation

Fiore, Gabriel John III, "Emotional Tweeters: What Causes Individuals to React During a Crisis? A Mixed-Methodological Analysis Examining Crisis Response Tweets to the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting" (2018). Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). 2612.
https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2612