Elisa Serafinelli

Public expectations of critical infrastructure operators in times of crisis

Abstract Maintaining a minimum level of service and recovering quickly after a shock are key components of critical infrastructure (CI) resilience. Nevertheless, recent literature indicates that there is an ‘expectation gap’ in relation to the services CI operators should provide to members of the public in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. However, few of these studies have empirically investigated what members of the public expect. As such, this paper explores this under-researched area by drawing on key themes that emerged from a literature review, results from an online questionnaire-based study (N = 403), and analysis of 22 semi-structured interviews with CI operators and other relevant stakeholders. Results indicate that the public appear willing to tolerate reductions in service during crisis. The public also expect CI operators to keep them informed about progress to restore these services and answer direct queries via both traditional and social media. Based on these findings, resilience recommendations are presented.

Enhancing Critical Infrastructure Resilience Through Information-Sharing: Recommendations for European Critical Infrastructure Operators

This paper explores how critical infrastructure (CI) resilience can be improved through effective crisis communication between CI operators and members of the public. Drawing on academic and practice-based research into crisis and risk communication, as well as the results of 31 interviews conducted with key stakeholders from across Europe, the AESOP guidelines are proposed for enhancing the communication and information-sharing strategies of CI operators. These emphasise the importance of integrating both traditional and digital media into a multi-channel communication strategy that facilitates dialogue between CI operators and key stakeholders including emergency management organisations and representatives of local communities. The information-seeking behaviours of citizens should be evaluated by these organisations in order to ensure that this messaging reaches key demographics in disaster-vulnerable areas. This paper concludes by examining how post-disaster learning should be incorporated into a flexible framework for crisis and risk communication that manages public expectations about the time needed to restore services in the aftermath of large-scale incidents.

Public expectations of disaster information provided by critical infrastructure operators: lessons learned from Barreiro, Portugal

Previous research into the role of social media in crisis communication has tended to focus on how sites such as Twitter are used by emergency managers and the public rather than other key stakeholders, such as critical infrastructure (CI) operators. This paper sets out to address this gap by examining Barreiro residents’ expectations of disaster communication from CI operators through the use of an online questionnaire and comparing the results to the current practices of the Barreiro Municipal Water Network, which were examined via an in person interview. The findings suggest that the public expect CI operators to communicate via traditional and social media and that the Barreiro Municipal Water Network should expand their current practices to include digital media.

Mobile Mediated Visualities An Empirical Study of Visual Practices on Instagram

Abstract The escalation of photo sharing through social networking sites is one of the most substantial changes in mobile communication practice in recent years. The launch of smart mobile technologies represents a decisive moment in the production and observation of visualities with an elevated characteristic of digital shareability and reproducibility. Considering recent technological advancements and new social media services, this paper aims to study how social platforms and smart mobile devices are affecting individuals’ visual, social and digital practices. In particular, this paper examines the social exchange of photographs online in order to advance an in-depth reading of contemporary mobile media. The mobility afforded by smart mobile devices represents a fundamental condition that shapes the human-technology relationship. The paper studies this condition by concentrating on the dynamic mobility of individuals, devices and visual information. Methodologically, the paper employs a case study approach to analyse how Instagram affects individuals’ perception of their mediated lives. Qualitative interviews formed the fieldwork and a sample of 44 Instagram users took part in the study. Visual content analysis of participants’ photo sharing further contributed to the investigation. Findings from the study show that the use of smart mobile devices constitutes the development of new forms of mobile mediated visualities. The mobility and mediation afforded by smart mobile devices seem to establish new practices for producing and sharing images that push individuals to think visually of events, people and surroundings. These practices lead to the visual dataification of social practices and intensify the quantity and variety of visual data shared online. Within this context, the visual hyper-representation of social practices is exemplified by the current trend of giving to everything a visual justification (e. g. foodporn). In its conclusions, the paper offers a conceptual apparatus that can help to understand contemporary social, digital and visual interactions.

Introduction: The Digital Transformation of the Public Sphere

The three editors introduce the key themes of this edited volume: migration, crisis and culture in digital networks. The chapter summarises the four parts under investigation, namely theories, case studies from Mexico, China, India and Nigeria, European crisis, and digital culture and communication shifts. In addition to explaining the rationale for the volume, this chapter puts forward the notion that the digital public sphere shapes and is shaped by debates surrounding crisis, conflict, migration and culture, forming and reforming multiple fragmented and interconnected spheres and publics.

Italian Migrants and Photo Sharing in the UK

Elisa Serafinelli finds that the use of smart mobile devices in combination with the practice of photo sharing provides emerging practices offering insights into the current dynamics of the social use of mobile technologies and visualities within diasporic contexts. Photo sharing provides a stimulus that actively shapes contemporary daily experiences of transnational migration. On social media platforms migrants emphasise the diasporic condition, sharing images that exhibit an alternation between new different visions (UK) and nostalgic scenarios (Italian food and events).