Digital Crisis Management in Online News Media: How Organizational Response Strategies and Executive Communication Shape Public Sentiment in HuffPost Headlines

Abdullah Kürşat Merter; Yavuz Selim Balcıoğlu; Turhan Karakaya

doi:10.26466/opusjsr.1686345

EN TR

Digital Crisis Management in Online News Media: How Organizational Response Strategies and Executive Communication Shape Public Sentiment in HuffPost Headlines

Abstract

Digital news cycles have collapsed the "golden hour" of corporate crisis response into mere minutes, yet evidence of how specific strategies fare in headline-driven online news media remains scarce. A comprehensive analysis was conducted on 31,877 HuffPost headlines published between 2012 and 2022, from which 1,047 items referring to organizational crises were identified, with a focused subset of 79 headlines that explicitly mention both the focal organization and its response strategy. Through mixed-methods content analysis, it was found that apology and corrective-action statements are more than twice as likely to attract neutral or positive headline framing compared to denial or blame-shifting messages. Executive visibility functions as an amplifier: CEO-fronted apologies increase neutral framing by 29 percentage points, whereas CEO-issued denials intensify negative framing by 15 points. Hierarchical regression analysis reveals that 48% of the variance in headline framing can be explained by strategy-crisis alignment, response timing (within 24 hours), transparency level, and executive involvement. Effects vary by industry, firm size, and prior reputation, with technology companies and high-reputation incumbents deriving the greatest benefit from transparent, executive-led apologies. The timeframe selection (2012-2022) captures the digital maturation phase in online news and encompasses significant evolution in crisis types. Based on these findings, organizations are recommended to prioritize accommodative strategies, respond within 24 hours, align strategy selection with crisis type, and strategically deploy executive voices. This study extends Situational Crisis Communication Theory to headline-level digital contexts and offers evidence-based guidance on effective crisis communication in the online news environment.

Keywords

Digital Crisis Communication , Response Strategies , Executive Involvement , Online Headline Framing , Stakeholder Sentiment.

Çevrimiçi Haber Medyasında Dijital Kriz Yönetimi: Kurumsal Müdahale Stratejileri ve Yönetici İletişimi HuffPost Manşetlerinde Kamuoyunun Duyarlılığını Nasıl Şekillendiriyor?

Öz

Dijital haber döngüleri, kurumsal kriz müdahalesinin “altın saatini” sadece dakikalara indirgemiştir, ancak belirli stratejilerin manşet odaklı çevrimiçi haber medyasında nasıl bir performans gösterdiğine dair kanıtlar yetersiz kalmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, 2012-2022 yılları arasında yayınlanan 31.877 HuffPost manşeti üzerinde kapsamlı bir analiz gerçekleştirilmiş, bu manşetlerden kurumsal krizlere atıfta bulunan 1.047 öğe tespit edilmiş ve hem odak kuruluştan hem de müdahale stratejisinden açıkça bahseden 79 manşetten oluşan odaklanmış bir alt küme oluşturulmuştur. Karma yöntem içerik analizi yoluyla, özür ve düzeltici eylem ifadelerinin, inkar veya suçu başka yöne çekme mesajlarına kıyasla nötr veya olumlu manşet çerçevelemesini çekme olasılığının iki kattan fazla olduğu bulunmuştur. Yönetici görünürlüğü bir güçlendirici olarak işlev görmektedir: CEO önderliğindeki özürler nötr çerçevelemeyi yüzde 29 puan artırırken, CEO tarafından yayınlanan inkârlar negatif çerçevelemeyi 15 puan yoğunlaştırmaktadır. Hiyerarşik regresyon analizi, manşet çerçevelemedeki varyansın %48'inin strateji-kriz uyumu, yanıt zamanlaması (24 saat içinde), şeffaflık düzeyi ve yönetici katılımı ile açıklanabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır. Etkiler sektöre, firma büyüklüğüne ve önceki itibara göre değişmekte olup, teknoloji şirketleri ve yüksek itibara sahip kuruluşlar şeffaf, yönetici liderliğindeki özürlerden en büyük faydayı sağlamaktadır. Seçilen zaman dilimi (2012-2022), çevrimiçi haberlerdeki dijital olgunlaşma aşamasını ve kriz türlerindeki önemli evrimi kapsamaktadır. Bu bulgulara dayanarak, kuruluşlara uzlaşmacı stratejilere öncelik vermeleri, 24 saat içinde yanıt vermeleri, strateji seçimini kriz türüyle uyumlu hale getirmeleri ve yönetici seslerini stratejik olarak kullanmaları önerilmektedir. Bu çalışma Durumsal Kriz İletişimi Teorisi'ni manşet düzeyindeki dijital bağlamlara genişletmekte ve çevrimiçi haber ortamında etkili kriz iletişimi konusunda kanıta dayalı rehberlik sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Dijital Kriz İletişimi , Tepki Stratejileri , Yönetici Katılımı , Çevrimiçi Manşet Çerçeveleme , Paydaş Duyguları.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Social Media Studies , Communication Sociology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Abdullah Kürşat Merter ^*
0000-0001-6874-1890
Türkiye

Yavuz Selim Balcıoğlu
0000-0001-7138-2972
Türkiye

Turhan Karakaya
0000-0003-0818-8522
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

July 27, 2025

Publication Date

August 4, 2025

Submission Date

April 29, 2025

Acceptance Date

July 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 22 Number: 4

DOI

https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1686345

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA87YT87ZE

APA

Merter, A. K., Balcıoğlu, Y. S., & Karakaya, T. (2025). Digital Crisis Management in Online News Media: How Organizational Response Strategies and Executive Communication Shape Public Sentiment in HuffPost Headlines. OPUS Journal of Society Research, 22(4), 688-705. https://doi.org/10.26466/opusjsr.1686345

Digital Crisis Management in Online News Media: How Organizational Response Strategies and Executive Communication Shape Public Sentiment in HuffPost Headlines

Abstract

Keywords

Çevrimiçi Haber Medyasında Dijital Kriz Yönetimi: Kurumsal Müdahale Stratejileri ve Yönetici İletişimi HuffPost Manşetlerinde Kamuoyunun Duyarlılığını Nasıl Şekillendiriyor?

Öz

Anahtar Kelimeler

References

Details

Primary Language

Subjects

Journal Section

Authors

Early Pub Date

Publication Date

Submission Date

Acceptance Date

Published in Issue

DOI

IZ

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