Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Oct 14, 2024
Date Accepted: Jan 30, 2025
Crisis Communication about the Maui Wildfires on TikTok: Content Analysis of Engagement with Maui Wildfire-Related Posts Over One Year
ABSTRACT
Background:
The August 2023 wildfire in the town of Lāhainā on the island of Maui in Hawaiʻi caused significant devastation, impacted the lives of many residents, and killed 102 people. Social media platforms, particularly TikTok, have become essential tools for real-time information dissemination, public engagement, and support during disasters. Analyzing content shared on these platforms provides valuable insights into public response and disaster communication strategies.
Objective:
This study aimed to analyze TikTok posts related to the Maui wildfires to identify content themes, assess public engagement, and understand how information is disseminated during a natural disaster.
Methods:
TikTok posts related to the Maui wildfires were collected from August 8, 2023, to August 9, 2024. Using TikTok's search functionality, we identified and reviewed 286 posts containing relevant hashtags. Two researchers independently coded the posts into thematic categories, achieving an inter-rater reliability of 87%. Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, saves) were analyzed for each theme and hashtag.
Results:
The hashtag #MauiStrong had the highest engagement, with 5,469,929 likes (49%), 392,873 comments (64%), and 683,120 shares (58%). The predominant content theme, "Impact & Damage," appeared in 27% of posts, accumulating 6,290,519 likes (51%), 386,390 saves (11%), and 909,318 shares (55%). "Personal Narratives/Interviews" was the second most engaging theme, which highlights the strong connections to individual experiences. TikTok posts covered a wide range of themes, including relief efforts, community solidarity, misinformation, and government responses, reflecting diverse public interests and interactions.
Conclusions:
TikTok plays a crucial role in documenting disaster impact, sharing personal stories, and fostering community support. Understanding public engagement on TikTok can enhance disaster communication and public health response strategies. Clinical Trial: Not applicable
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