Risk Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Era of Social Media

The widespread application of social media in the field of crisis management has been adopted globally. In re-cent years, the role of social media in emergencies has grown, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This study explores the differ-ent roles played by social media in the government, the media, and the public during the pandemic through the key nodes of information dissemination at each de-velopmental stage of crisis risk communication. The results indicate that in a government-led environment, in which social media is the link and the public is the core, attention must be directed towards the key role of social media as a "whistleblower" during the incu-bation period of a crisis event. Moreover, a new gate -keeping mechanism that integrates the public, the me-dia, and the government should be formed to improve emergency management during crises.