Scraping social media data for disaster communication: how the pattern of Twitter users affects disasters in Asia and th
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Scraping social media data for disaster communication: how the pattern of Twitter users affects disasters in Asia and the Pacific Bevaola Kusumasari1 · Nias Phydra Aji Prabowo1 Received: 11 August 2018 / Accepted: 22 June 2020 © Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract Communication channels play a crucial role in times of crisis, especially during disasters. Social media have become substantial means of communication, playing coextensive roles to those of traditional media. Social media present a communication format that can operate not only within areas directly affected by a disaster but also throughout the rest of the world. Twitter has proven to be an important social media platform for providing services and information conveyed by credible organizations in times of crisis when other means of communication become inaccessible. This study focuses on the different uses of Twitter during disasters in Asia and the Pacific in 2014 and 2015. The purpose of this study is to show the pattern of use of Twitter to send warnings and identify crucial needs and responses. This study is based on the premise that Twitter has considerable potential as a communication channel during disasters given its advantages and high compatibility with rapid information dissemination. We gather tweets by scraping https://twitter.com/searc h-advanced results using the Application Programming Interface of Twitter. The scraping process is conducted with the Python Tweepy library. Data are classified based on a social media framework, geographical area, and user type. We find that the pattern of Twitter users plays a crucial role in raising awareness as well as coordinating relief efforts during disasters. Various types of users utilize Twitter in ways that are consistent with its traditional role. News organizations participate in secondhand reporting, and nongovernment organizations and celebrities are committed to relief coordination. Results cast light on not only how various types of users utilize Twitter in times of disaster but also on how a number of potential Twitter users are absent during disasters. Twitter use for relief coordination occurs understandably in the aftermath of a disaster, but the speed and reach of Twitter make it an ideal platform for disaster preparedness coordination and planning. Keywords Data scraping · Disaster communication · Social media · Asia and Pacific
* Bevaola Kusumasari [email protected] Nias Phydra Aji Prabowo [email protected] 1
Universitas Gadjah Mada, Jalan Sosio Yustisia, Caturtunggal, Depok, Kabupaten Sleman, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
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Natural Hazards
1 Introduction Communication channels play a crucial role during disasters, and social media play a complementary role to that of traditional media. However, the role of social media as a communication channel during disasters has continued to gain significance, superseding the role of traditional media in certain cases. This phenomenon was demonstrated in 2013, when the social media plat
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