Safeguarding Truth in Turmoil: A Study of the Turkish Government's Strategic Deployment of Twitter during the February 6, 2023, Earthquakes

Year 2024, Issue: 108, 51 - 82, 30.01.2024

Sibel Hoştut , Ayşad Güdekli , Fırat Güzeldağ

https://doi.org/10.12995/bilig.10803

Abstract

This article examines crisis communication and public diplomacy through social media, especially in the context of the earthquakes that occurred in Türkiye on February 6, 2023. The study underscores the critical roles of accurate information dissemination, public trust cultivation, and disinformation prevention. Focusing on the experiences of leading government offices, particularly their Twitter responses, this research demonstrates the interconnectedness of crisis communication, digital diplomacy and central importance of strategic integration in the digital age. Using a dataset of 2,997 tweets from six government Twitter accounts, the MAXQDA 2020 analysis explores the dynamics of the relationship between Turkish public diplomacy, crisis communication, and social media, and offers insights into resilient communication frameworks in global governance. The effectiveness of the government's communication efforts is evident in the strategic use of Twitter as a dynamic tool for real-time dissemination of information during crises, underlining the government's proactive and responsive stance in crisis communication.

Keywords

Crisis communication, disinformation, public diplomacy, social media, earthquake, Türkiye

Zor Zamanlarda Hakikati Koruma: 6 Şubat 2023 Depremleri Sırasında Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Hükümetinin Stratejik Twitter Kullanımı

Abstract

Bu çalışma, kriz iletişimi, kamu diplomasisi ve sosyal medya etkisi konularını ele alarak 6 Şubat 2023 tarihinde Türkiye’de gerçekleşen deprem sürecine odaklanmaktadır. Çalışmada, doğru bilgi yayılmasının, kamu güveninin oluşturulmasının ve dezenformasyonun önlenmesinin kritik rollerini vurgulanmaktadır. Özellikle Türkiye Cumhuriyeti hükümetinin önemli kurumlarının deneyimlerine odaklanan araştırma, kriz iletişimi, dijital diplomasi ve dezenformasyonla mücadelenin birbirine bağlı olduğunu, dijital çağda stratejik entegrasyonu gerektirdiğini savunmaktadır. Altı hükümet Twitter hesabından alınan 2.997 tweetten oluşan bir veri kümesinin kullanıldığı analiz, MAXQDA 2020'yi kullanarak kriz iletişimindeki güçlü yönleri, zayıf yönleri ve iyileştirilecek alanları tespit ederek Türk kamu diplomasisi uygulamalarının anlaşılmasına katkıda bulunmakta ve gelecekteki araştırmalara yol göstermektedir. Araştırma, önde gelen devlet kurumlarının kullandığı etkili stratejileri ortaya çıkararak, takipçi sayısı ile tweet sıklığı arasındaki detaylı ilişkiyi vurgulayarak ve sosyal medyayı kriz anlarında takip etme konusunda pratik içgörüler sunarak sona ermektedir.

Keywords

Kriz iletişimi, dezenformasyon, kamu diplomasisi, sosyal medya, deprem, Türkiye

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