Stephen Gichuhi Kimotho, United States International University – Africa, Nairobi, Kenya
Carolyne Nyaboe Nyarang’o, Daystar University, Nairobi, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Terrorism targeting corporate bodies remains one the greatest risks to the most critical intangible asset of any organization: reputation. Thus, effective crisis communication is critical during and after terror crisis to mitigate further damage on the reputation. To date, many studies around the globe have tended to focus on the role of the traditional media during terror crisis, paying minimal attention to organisations’ use of social media during terror crisis. Using a descriptive qualitative case study, this study examined the role of social media during 2013 Westgate Mall terror attack, in Nairobi, Kenya. Findings revealed that the Interior Ministry (IM) used Twitter as the preferred social media platform to communicate with various stakeholders. Accommodative crisis response strategies were the most used by the IM. However, the ministry was plagued with inaccuracies and inconsistencies in its responses on social media compromising reputation of the government further. Balancing the need for speedy response, accuracy and consistency, remained the greatest challenge for the IM.
Keywords: Attribution Theory, Crisis Communication, Crisis Communication Strategy, Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Social Media, Terrorism, Westgate
International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management
Volume 11 • Issue 1 • January-June 2019
This descriptive qualitative study of the Westgate terror attack set out to achieve two key objectives: i) to describe the response strategies used by the government of Kenya through the Interior Ministry’s to protect its reputation on social media; and iii) to describe the public’s (social media users’) perception of the attribution of responsibility for the crisis.
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