Social media and culture clash: Examining cultural influence on Facebook crisis communication in Botswana

Simon, Chedza

Abstract

Multicultural crisis communication in Botswana has become complex due to the country’s various ethnicities and cultures. Facebook remains a dominant communication platform, but traditional media is also used to cover organisational exigencies. However, there is a lack of research guiding public relations (PR) practitioners in multicultural crisis communication in Botswana, and this study addresses this gap. Semi-structured interviews with 20 Botswana PR practitioners revealed that they use Facebook to manage crises, but do not engage in online dialogue with the public. Instead, they post status updates and switch to offline cultural communication platforms for face-to-face dialogue. This article proposes and introduces a Botswana-focused model, the Cross Cloverleaf Relationship Model (CCRM), that probably resonates with similar contexts in Sub-Saharan African countries. The model facilitates authentic crisis communication between Facebook and the kgotla system, Botswana's traditional and cultural communication platform. I suggest that multinational companies may find the kgotla system helpful during emergencies in Botswana.

Citation

Simon, C. (2023). Social media and culture clash: Examining cultural influence on Facebook crisis communication in Botswana. ESSACHESS - Journal for Communication Studies, 42(2), 30-42. https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v42i2.2468

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 14, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Dec 9, 2023
• Publication Date: Dec 9, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jun 11, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 17, 2024
• Journal: Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa
• Electronic ISSN: 0259-0069
• Publisher: Editions IARSIC
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 42
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 30-42
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.36615/jcsa.v42i2.2468