It is Not About Facts – It is About Framing. The App Generation's Information-Seeking Tactics: Proactive Online Crisis Communication

Abstract

The article examines Swedish children's information-seeking tactics before and during a crisis. Using the 2014 Ebola outbreak as a case in point, special attention is drawn to how source credibility is assessed on the Internet. If the individual perspective is to be taken seriously within crisis management/crisis communication, empirical studies with various stakeholders, such as children, are needed. With the theoretical framework of framing, the importance of children's personal experiences is brought to the fore. Developing strategic means of listening to children rather than operating from a top-down perspective constitutes a main point of departure in the study. Framings are in the article suggested as a suitable strategic tool for proactive online crisis communication with a specific focus on public agencies.