Responding to crises collectively and cooperatively: The mechanism of ‘informative cooperation’ by the Chinese government and the public in Weibo-based crisis communication between 2010 and 2019

How can the government and the public connect during a crisis? While tough in the age of traditional media, this has become more practical in the age of social media. Weibo has been integrated into crisis communication as the main social media platform in China since 2010. After a decade, the Chinese government and the public have changed their ways of engaging in Weibo-based crisis communication. Employing mixed methods to analyse 5358 Weibo posts and 41 interviews, we found the government to have become an approachable participant in crisis communication rather than projecting a rigid, aloof image; members of the public have also become more skilled, experienced participants. Our findings indicate an innovative mechanism of ‘informative cooperation’ constructed by the government and the public, underlying a collaborative relationship between them. We suggest that such a relationship should be maintained to promote better cooperation between the government and the public in future social-media-based crisis communication.