Examining the Indonesian government’s social media use for disaster risk communication

ABSTRACT Social media have become widely used platforms for risk communication. Nevertheless, as this paper identifies there are potential challenges associated with the use social media, i.e. trust and credibility, misinformation, and digital inequality. This study uses three case studies to analyze the Indonesian government’s messaging strategies on social media for disaster risk communication, while navigating these challenges. Thematic content analysis of Indonesian emergency units’ social media posts during disaster events and of in-depth interviews with the personnel of the government agencies reveal the problematic aspects of the unidirectional top-down pattern of social media disaster risk communication. The messages mainly convey information about situations related to the disasters and government activities in local communities during disasters. Government agencies did not see social media as an appropriate channel for local communities most likely to be impacted or that such communities are shaped by culturally embedded beliefs and who might have limited accesses to the technology. This study suggests that patterns of social media use for disaster risk communication can differ across cultures. The collectivist culture of Indonesian communities has led to the two-step flow of communication model that proposes embracing culture and social capital to build trust, credibility, and overcome digital inequalities.