@inproceedings{e5ac08d7ebfe4419a9207790d90323ae,
title = "Multidimensional risk communication: Public discourse on risks during an emerging epidemic",
abstract = "Crisis informatics has examined how institutions and individuals seek, communicate, and curate information in response to crises. The public's communication and perception of risks on social media remain understudied. In this study, we report a qualitative analysis of public perceptions of risks and risk management measures on Reddit during the Zika crisis, an emerging epidemic associated with high uncertainty regarding pathology, epidemiology, and broad consequences. We found two types of perceived risks: ones directly caused by the Zika virus, and ones potentially introduced by authorities' risk management measures. Risk perceptions unfolded along multiple dimensions beyond the imminent and personal level. Reddit users discussed in a speculative way to foresee various risks in the long run or at larger geographical scales. We discuss the multidimensionality and speculative nature of risk perception on social media, and derive implications for crisis informatics research and public health research and practice.",
keywords = "Biological crisis, Crisis informatics, Emerging epidemic, Public health crisis, Public participation, Risk communication, Risk perception, Social media, Zika virus",
author = "Xinning Gui and Yubo Kou and Kathleen Pine and Elisa Ladaw and Harold Kim and Eli Suzuki-Gill and Yunan Chen",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 Copyright is held by the owner/author(s).; 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2018 ; Conference date: 21-04-2018 Through 26-04-2018",
year = "2018",
month = apr,
day = "20",
doi = "10.1145/3173574.3173788",
language = "English (US)",
series = "Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings",
publisher = "Association for Computing Machinery",
booktitle = "CHI 2018 - Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems",
}