Crisis Communication on Twitter: Differences Between User Types in Top Tweets About the 2015 “Refugee Crisis” in Germany

Authors

  • Sanja Kapidzic GESIS – Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences
  • Felix Frey University of Leipzig
  • Christoph Neuberger Free University of Berlin, Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society
  • Stefan Stieglitz University of Duisburg-Essen
  • Milad Mirbabaie Paderborn University

Keywords:

refugee crisis 2015, Germany, social media, Twitter, user types

Abstract

The study explores differences between three user types in the top tweets about the 2015 “refugee crisis” in Germany and presents the results of a quantitative content analysis. All tweets with the keyword “Flüchtlinge” posted for a monthlong period following September 13, 2015, the day Germany decided to implement border controls, were collected (N = 763,752). The top 2,495 tweets according to number of retweets were selected for analysis. Differences between news media, public and private actor tweets in topics, tweet characteristics such as tone and opinion expression, links, and specific sentiments toward refugees were analyzed. We found strong differences between the tweets. Public actor tweets were the main source of positive sentiment toward refugees and the main information source on refugee support. News media tweets mostly reflected traditional journalistic norms of impartiality and objectivity, whereas private actor tweets were more diverse in sentiments toward refugees.

Author Biographies

Sanja Kapidzic, GESIS – Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences

Dr. Sanja Kapidzic is a researcher at GESIS – Leibniz-Institute for the Social Sciences in Mannheim, Germany. Her research interests include social media communication, self-presentation in online environments, and individual differences in online interactions.

Felix Frey, University of Leipzig

Dr. Felix Frey is a research associate at the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Leipzig. His research interests include strategies of media use and reception, social media interaction and participation, and methodologies of theory building.

Christoph Neuberger, Free University of Berlin, Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society

Prof. Dr. Christoph Neuberger is a full professor at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin and the managing director of the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society, Berlin. His research interests include the digital transformation of the public sphere and the role of digital intermediaries.

Stefan Stieglitz, University of Duisburg-Essen

Prof. Dr. Stefan Stieglitz is a full professor of Digital Communication and Transformation at the University of Duisburg-Essen. In his research, he investigates how to make use of social media data in an organizational and societal context. Moreover, he analyses user behaviour and technology adoption of collaborative information systems in enterprises.

Milad Mirbabaie, Paderborn University

Prof. Dr. Milad Mirbabaie is a junior professor at Paderborn University. His research interests include collective behavior in social media, the role of IT in the digital society, the impact of artificial intelligence on individuals and organizations, and the future of work.

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Published

2023-01-11

Issue

Vol. 17 (2023)

Section

Articles

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