Crisis in a Tweet shows how a single social media post, like, or share can rapidly escalate into a public calamity, instantly disrupting careers and brands in today's hyper-connected world.

Crisis in a Tweet explores the alarming reality that a single social media post can unleash severe consequences for individuals and organizations alike.

Unlike traditional emergencies caused by natural disasters or product failures, social media upheaval originates in the digital realm but leads to real world consequences - job losses, reputational harm, and public shame - disproportionate to the original act. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of how social media platforms serve not just as communication tools but as environments for the emergence of crises. Drawing on case studies from platforms like X, Facebook, and YouTube, this book outlines a fundamental shift in media ecology, where everyday digital interactions become amplified into firestorms. It investigates key drivers of this trend, including the democratization of crisis creation, the amplified effects of online mobs, and the rise of partisan communities weaponizing outrage.

From the unearthing of old posts to viral hashtag movements fueling global reputational attacks, this book explains how digital crises differ from traditional ones and why society assigns them outsized significance. Rather than advocating for more regulation and prevention, Crisis in a Tweet calls for a cultural shift in how we perceive and respond to online controversies.

Autorentext

Duncan Koerber is an associate professor of business communication in the Communication, Popular Culture, and Film Department at Brock University.

Klappentext

Crisis in a Tweet explores the alarming reality that a single social media post can unleash severe consequences for individuals and organizations alike.

Unlike traditional emergencies caused by natural disasters or product failures, social media upheaval originates in the digital realm but leads to real world consequences – job losses, reputational harm, and public shame – disproportionate to the original act. This book provides a comprehensive analysis of how social media platforms serve not just as communication tools but as environments for the emergence of crises. Drawing on case studies from platforms like X, Facebook, and YouTube, this book outlines a fundamental shift in media ecology, where everyday digital interactions become amplified into firestorms. It investigates key drivers of this trend, including the democratization of crisis creation, the amplified effects of online mobs, and the rise of partisan communities weaponizing outrage.

From the unearthing of old posts to viral hashtag movements fueling global reputational attacks, this book explains how digital crises differ from traditional ones and why society assigns them outsized significance. Rather than advocating for more regulation and prevention, Crisis in a Tweet calls for a cultural shift in how we perceive and respond to online controversies.

Inhalt

Acknowledgements
Preface: The Rise of the Social Media Crisis
Chapter 1: The Anatomy of the Social Media Crisis
Chapter 2: Changing Conditions: The New Crisis Media Ecology
Chapter 3: The Illusion of Authenticity in the Social Media Crisis
Chapter 4: Social Media Crisis Narratives and the Search for Truth
Chapter 5: Tweet Archaeology: The Crisis of Unearthing the Digital Past
Chapter 6: Beyond the Firestorm: Lessons from Social Media Crises
References
Index