Social media as a gift and curse in crisis communication: A study on Turkish PR practitioners

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter was to examine how Turkish PR practitioners evaluate social media in terms of its threats and opportunities for crisis communication, and its effects on the crisis consulting process. Additionally, it attempted to elicit their advice on how to use social media more effectively during crisis communication. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty senior PR practitioners from agencies that are members of the Turkish Public Relations Association (TUHID) and the Communication Consultancies Association of Turkey (IDA). The findings showed that Turkish PR practitioners mostly regard social media as a curse rather than a gift due to the number of threats they asserted about it. The findings pointed out that they recognize the importance of social media for issues and risk tracking. Our research demonstrated the high awareness level of PR practitioners about the role of social media to build relationships with key stakeholders, however, it was argued that social media is underutilized for this purpose. © 2024 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.