Introduction: The global energy crisis in the Winter of 2022-23, catalyzed by factors such as post-pandemic economic resurgence, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and international dependencies, posed significant challenges for European countries. To address the crisis, governments adopted various strategies, sparking inquiry into potential disparities in strategic crises communication practices, particularly on social media platforms like Twitter.
Objectives: This thesis seeks to explore theoretical frameworks and the recent state of literature in strategic communication, crisis communication, and social media research, leading to an empirical investigation to compare crisis communication strategies between governmental institutions in the UK and Germany.
Methods: A manual quantitative content analysis method was employed to examine 1496 tweets, utilizing a codebook with 39 variables to categorize and quantify social media content from the platform X (formerly Twitter). Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted to identify prominent characteristics and analyze relationships between variables, comparing the samples of the two countries.
Results: The research shows significant disparities in crisis communication and energy policy approaches between UK and German governmental institutions. While German accounts prioritized networking, with a higher frequency of hashtags and mentions, UK accounts emphasized follower mobilization to disseminate information. UK tweets displayed more personalization and emotional content compared to the neutral tone of German tweets. Crisis communication aspects were more prevalent in German accounts, focusing on addressing specific risks, and the political reasons behind the crisis, as well as proposing political solutions. British tweets targeted specific audiences and emphasized personal responsibility, such as energy-saving measures. Lastly, German tweets also placed more emphasis on energy security, promotion of green energy, and response steps. UK tweets, on the other hand, highlighted subsidies, and preparatory actions, particularly in addressing the interconnectedness of energy and climate crises.