The hybrid communication ecosystem in natural disasters: production, reach, and source typologies on Instagram during the 2024 DANA in Spain
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26441/RC-2025.1-2026-4151Keywords:
disaster communication, incidental news exposure, incidental news consumption, social media, Instagram, DANA, Cut-off low, floodsAbstract
Purpose. In October 2024, the Valencian Community was affected by a DANA, resulting in one of the most severe natural disasters in Spain’s recent history. The objective of this research is to analyze the production and reach of Instagram posts about this disaster, their temporal evolution, and the typology of the sources, and to discuss what these patterns suggest about the opportunity for incidental exposure mediated by algorithmic recommendation in crisis contexts. Methodology. A total of 3,042 posts tagged with the hashtag #dana that reached more than 100,000 views between 24 October and 17 November 2024 were selected using Meta’s Content Library. The posts were classified by type of content producer, and volume and reach metrics (number of posts, views, and average views per post) were compared. Results and conclusions. The findings show that both communicative activity and visibility were concentrated in the initial event phase, followed by a subsequent decline and renewed spikes during later meteorological episodes. News media dominated in terms of volume and reach, while vertical niche accounts, micro-influencers, and meteorological services stood out in performance per post and in their ability to reach large audiences. In contrast, public institutions and political parties exhibited a very limited presence. Original contributions. The results highlight the need for institutional crisis communication strategies adapted to an ecosystem characterized by the presence of highly visible non-specialized actors, in which circulation and reach depend not only on publication volume but also on the capacity to achieve algorithmic exposure.
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