Emergent social roles in wikipedia’s breaking news collaborations

Abstract

Disasters and accidents are endemic to social life, but so are the unique forms of social behavior and organization that emerge following them. The improvisation of order out of chaos, equanimity of victims, emergence of serendipitous and egalitarian social ties, and redemptive moments of solidarity have characterized post-catastrophe communities for centuries, but are also intrinsically ephemeral and recede as the most acute phase passes. Following unexpected and traumatic news events such as a major natural disaster, transportation accident, or mass shooting, familiar reference sources such as Wikipedia become the focus of many people seeking information to help them share information, learn about the response, and make sense of the event.