Divergences and convergences in the use of social media by reporters and managers in health emergencies and natural disasters

This study analyses the dynamics of journalists' and crisis managers' use of social media in the coverage of health emergencies and natural disasters with the aim of identifying points of convergence and divergence between both, taking into account that the academic literature reveals that in critical situations they present opposing attitudes as a result of their professional praxis. The research uses in-depth interviews with reporters and managers who have dealt with relevant crisis situations in Spain over the last decade, such as the outbreak of Listeriosis in the region of Andalusia in 2019; the torrential rainfalls in the Mediterranean in 2020; the eruption of the volcano in the Canary Island of La Palma in 2021 or the Covid19 global pandemic. The study also incorporates the results of an open discussion between members of both groups to contrast perceptions. The results conclude that Twitter is the social platform most commonly used by journalists and managers in crisis situations, although ambivalence is detected in its use, as well as in the selection of other complementary platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. The research also shows frictions between journalists and managers when it comes to assessing the communicative disintermediation provided by social media platforms.