Online communication behavior at the onset of a catastrophe: an exploratory study of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China

This paper describes internet users' information communication behaviors at the very onset of the catastrophic 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China. Firstly, we examine how crisis communication environment changes in cyber times both in and out of China, and we identify the challenges for crisis communication managers in the network society. Secondly, Chinese netizens' behaviors in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake are documented based on a survey conducted immediately after the shock. We find that internet was one of the channels to acquire information during the Wenchuan earthquake, and netizens used it as a supplement to confirm information comparint to other traditional channels. Professional portals played important role in information dissemination among internet users. Governmental official agency websites were trusted by most internet users, and multiple channels were used to confirm earthquake information. Instant messengers was the primary channel for information reposting by netizens.