Document Type

Article

Journal Title

Weather, Climate, and Society

Publication Date

2025

Volume

17

Abstract

Significant portions of the states in FEMA region 7 (Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, and Iowa) were in drought in 2022–23. Culling data gathered from a prominent social media platform and from focus group discussions, this research examines how drought information was communicated between the public officials and the general public. Through the lens of the two-step flow of communication theory, the central research question explored the differences between public conversations about drought among individuals experiencing it and the viewpoints of experts who work on drought-related issues. Results from social media conversations were examined, along with insights from focus group discussions involving local, state, and federal officials, to assess communication patterns about this complex issue. Social media analyses suggested a broad disconnection between public discussion of drought effects, when compared to most officials’ communication, which was limited to responses to acute symptoms of drought. Further, officials during focus groups suggested that barriers to deeper discussions about drought were limited, in part, because of siloed agencies and concerns about audience perceptions. Tying back to the role of positional opinion leaders in communication, the results suggest that larger discussions of drought that involve behavioral change or mitigation strategies were sought by members of the public but not often addressed in most official communication during this event.

Significance Statement

The study compared drought discussion from social media conversations and focus groups of key officials. Results indicated that residents often sought help with individualized effects of drought, including damaged crops or financial hardships. Conversely, most Twitter communication from officials focused on monitoring conditions of rainfall or water levels, signaling a disconnection in drought communication between the two groups. Drought officials noted that they often design their communication strategies based on their audiences. These findings suggest that managing drought conditions may not allow for incremental change or solid resource management, unless clearly defined communication strategies are developed.

ISSN

1948-8327

Rights

© Copyright 2025 American Meteorological Society (AMS). For permission to reuse any portion of this Work, please contact permissions@ametsoc.org. Any use of material in this Work that is determined to be “fair use” under Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S. Code § 107) or that satisfies the conditions specified in Section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Act (17 USC § 108) does not require the AMS’s permission. Republication, systematic reproduction, posting in electronic form, such as on a website or in a searchable database, or other uses of this material, except as exempted by the above statement, requires written permission or a license from the AMS. All AMS journals and monograph publications are registered with the Copyright Clearance Center (https://www.copyright.com). Additional details are provided in the AMS Copyright Policy statement, available on the AMS website (https://www.ametsoc.org/PUBSCopyrightPolicy).

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