Narongsak (Tek) Thongpapanl, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies and Professor of Marketing and Product Innovation at Brock University, had a piece published in The Conversation Sunday, March 1 about how Twitter could more effectively ease the impact of coronavirus. 

Thongpapanl writes:

“In the wake of a disaster or crisis, people turn to trusted sources for information. In today’s digitally connected world, those sources often take the form of social media platforms. These platforms allow for the rapid dissemination of information deemed vital in the midst of a disaster or crisis.

We’ve seen this most recently amid the spread of the coronavirus, as information about the outbreak floods social media feeds. That information is coming from both government sources as well as non-governmental organizations and private individuals, such was the case with many active Chinese social media users and online media outlets.

Our research contrasted the effectiveness of disaster-related information shared on Twitter by both public and private organizations, including NGOs and aid agencies.”

Continue reading the full article here.