The Social Amplification of Haze-Related Risks on the Internet

Abstract

This study explores the implications of the digital network society for public health communication and management through an empirical study on communication related to the transboundary haze crisis in Singapore. Using the Social Amplification of Risk Framework (SARF), the authors applied sentiment and thematic analysis on haze-related posts on an online discussion forum (HardwareZone) and a social networking site (Facebook), and to haze-related articles in The Straits Times (a newspaper). The study shows that the medium matters in social amplification of risk: Facebook had an effect on the amplification of emotions, while HardwareZone and The Straits Times did not. In addition, the results show that spikes in online risk amplification were strongly influenced by unprecedented events. They also suggest that anger expressed online may be linked to a sense of futility. Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are provided in the conclusion.