Role of Social Media in Disaster Management of possible Earthquake in Tehran

Media plays a significant role in controlling and managing disasters. Social media although very new in comparison with mass media, has a great stand in natural disaster management. Extensive presence of such media in Iran, as well as a growing wave of number of users in Tehran and their significant role in disaster management were reasons for the present study to recognize the impacts and role of social media in disaster management of possible earthquake in Tehran.
The method of this research is theory based and studied population included 10 managers and experts in the field of disaster and social media were selected through theoretical sampling. In-depth interviews were used to collect data and analysis tool was qualitative coding.
Findings: In this research, finding classified into three general groups related to social media role in disaster management of possible earthquake in Tehran. The first part was role of social media in disasters which classified into 5 general categories as Training and public awareness, information dissemination, directing and leadership, cohesion and information monitoring and control. Following that managerial requirements in usage of social media in disasters have been extracted. This includes five key requirements such as improvement of communication infrastructure, targeted planning, building trust, need assessment and response and rescue and relief. Finally, managerial challenges and social media in the usage of this kind of media entitled governance structural challenge, security challenge, space management and public opinion control and other challenge as users anonymity determined and paradigm model has been drown.
According to finding of this research, managerial challenges in macro-levels, communication infrastructure and current situation of social media in Iran as well as vast usage of social media in disaster management of possible earthquake in Tehran, at present situation in different dimensions face serious problems and challenges.