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Journals / Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 14 Sayı: 2

DIGITAL CRISIS COMMUNICATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN NATURAL DISAS TERS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE KAHRAMANMARAŞ EARTHQUAKE AND THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE

DOĞA KÖKENLİ AFETLERDE YEREL YÖNETİMLERİN DİJİTAL KRİZ İLETİŞİMİ: KAHRAMANMARAŞ DEPREMİ VE KALİFORNİYA ORMAN YANGINI ÜZERİNE KARŞILAŞTIRMALI BİR ANALİZ

Betül Pazarbaşı(Kocaeli Üniversitesi)0000-0001-5199-4867
Farida Kachybekova0000-0003-0472-077X
Pages
1136–1170
Publication Date
2026-10-01
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The findings reveal that the use of X for disaster management during and after these natural disasters varies across local governments.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Natural disasters pose significant challenges to societies, requiring rapid response, clear communication, and effective coordination.
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Key Findings & Data:This study, which utilizes the theoretical framework of disaster crisis communication, examines the social media usage of local governments in the affected regions of the Kahramanmaraş earthquake that occurred in Turkey on February 6, 2023, and the California wildfires that occurred in the United States on January 7, 2025, via X (Twitter).
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Conclusion & Impact:The findings reveal that the use of X for disaster management during and after these natural disasters varies across local governments.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:2023 Verileri
⚙️Variables:Dijital kriz iletişimi · Yerel yönetimler · Sosyal medya

Abstract

Natural disasters pose significant challenges to societies, requiring rapid response, clear communication, and effective coordination. Managing public perception and engaging with affected communities during such critical moments are fundamental responsibilities of local governments. To fulfill these responsibilities more effectively, local governments are making use of media tools—particularly social media platforms today. This study, which utilizes the theoretical framework of disaster crisis communication, examines the social media usage of local governments in the affected regions of the Kahramanmaraş earthquake that occurred in Turkey on February 6, 2023, and the California wildfires that occurred in the United States on January 7, 2025, via X (Twitter). The X accounts of the Kahramanmaraş and Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipalities are analyzed for the earthquake, while the accounts of the local governments of Malibu and Los Angeles—cities most affected by the wildfire—are analyzed for their disaster communication ef forts. The study aims to provide a comparative assessment of how local governments in these countries use social media, their strategies for managing information dissemination, and their communication activities during disasters. The findings reveal that the use of X for disaster management during and after these natural disasters varies across local governments. In Turkey, the Kahramanmaraş Municipality shared fewer earthquake-related X posts than the Gaziantep Municipality. Similarly, in the US, the Los Angeles Municipality shared significantly less wildfire-related content than the Malibu Municipality.

Özet

Doğal afetler toplumlar için önemli zorlukları meydana getirir ve hızlı müdahale, net iletişim ve etkili koordinasyon gerektirir. Bu tür kritik anlarda kamu algısını yönetmek ve etkilenen topluluklar ile etkileşim kurmak yerel yöne timlerin temel görevidir. Yerel yönetimler bu sorumluluklarını daha etkin şekilde yerine getirebilmek için medya araçlarından, özellikle günümüzde sosyal medya uygulamalarından yararlanmaktadır. Afet kriz iletişiminin teorik çerçevesini kullanan bu çalışmada Türkiye’de meydana gelen 06 Şubat 2023 tarihli Kahramanmaraş depremi ve 7 Ocak 2025 tarihinde ABD’de meydana gelen Kaliforniya Orman Yangınında etkilenen bölgelerin yerel yönetim lerinin sosyal medya kullanımları X (Twitter) üzerinden ele alınmaktadır. Kahramanmaraş depremi kapsamında Kahramanmaraş ve Gaziantep Büyükşehir Belediyelerinin X hesapları, Kaliforniya Orman Yangını bağlamında ise en çok hasar gören Malibu ve Los Angeles şehirlerinin yerel yönetimlerine ait X hesapları analiz edilmektedir. Çalışmanın amacı söz konusu ülkelerdeki yerel yönetimlerin afet iletişimi bağlamında sosyal medyayı nasıl kul landıklarını bilgi yayılımını yönetmek için nasıl bir strateji izlediklerini ve iletişim etkinliklerini inceleyerek karşı laştırmalı bir değerlendirme yapmaktır. Elde edilen bulgular araştırma konusunu oluşturan doğal afetlerin sırasında ve sonrasında afet yönetimi amacıyla X kullanımının, yerel yönetimlere göre farklılık gösterdiğini ortaya koymak tadır. Türkiye örneğinde Kahramanmaraş Belediyesi’nin deprem ile ilgili X paylaşımlarının Gaziantep belediyesine göre daha az olduğu görülmektedir. Benzer şekilde ABD bağlamında LA belediyesi Malibu Belediyesi’ne kıyasla orman yangınına ilişkin çok daha az içerik paylaştığı ortaya çıkmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Pazarbaşı, B., Kachybekova, F. (2026). DIGITAL CRISIS COMMUNICATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN NATURAL DISAS TERS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE KAHRAMANMARAŞ EARTHQUAKE AND THE CALIFORNIA WILDFIRE. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi, Cilt: 14 Sayı: 2, 1136–1170. https://doi.org/10.19145/e-gifder.1807117

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