Ola Thufvesson
Senior lecturer
The mediatized tourism city under terror: Dilemmas and strategies for destination management organisations
Author
Summary, in English
The concern of this paper is with the mediatisation of tourism cities through fast circulating narratives on digital platforms in an era characterised as post-truth involving the spread of fake news and disinformation. Hence far, there is scarce knowledge on how misleading information and false rumours concerning terrorism affect the image of tourism cities. In addition, extant research studies predominately concern image in destinations, which are in a permanent state of crisis or war. Less is known of cities that are randomly subjected to terrorist attacks.
The research aim in the paper is therefore to advance the knowledge of the narrative rhythm of the mediatized destination in the aftermath of an actual terror attack in contrast to a false one.
A mixed-methods approach is used to examine the event trend of online search traffic, Twitter data, and news in the aftermath of the Stockholm terror attack, and President Trump’s misleading claim of a non-existing terror attack in the city of Malmö in Sweden during 2015. Emerging narratives in different stages of the course of these events were identified and analysed. In the false case a broad range of stories emerged quickly which tried to establish a dominant narrative of the city. Whereas in the real case, the emerging narratives are more condensed and related to the event.
The study contributes with novel knowledge on the role played by disinformation in the mediatisation of cities. The study raises questions to the need and importance for destination management organisations to handle and respond to disinformation in false events.
The research aim in the paper is therefore to advance the knowledge of the narrative rhythm of the mediatized destination in the aftermath of an actual terror attack in contrast to a false one.
A mixed-methods approach is used to examine the event trend of online search traffic, Twitter data, and news in the aftermath of the Stockholm terror attack, and President Trump’s misleading claim of a non-existing terror attack in the city of Malmö in Sweden during 2015. Emerging narratives in different stages of the course of these events were identified and analysed. In the false case a broad range of stories emerged quickly which tried to establish a dominant narrative of the city. Whereas in the real case, the emerging narratives are more condensed and related to the event.
The study contributes with novel knowledge on the role played by disinformation in the mediatisation of cities. The study raises questions to the need and importance for destination management organisations to handle and respond to disinformation in false events.
Department/s
- Department of Strategic Communication
- Department of Service Studies
Publishing year
2018
Language
English
Document type
Conference paper: abstract
Topic
- Social Sciences
- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Keywords
- tourism cities
- destination management
- mediatization
- narrative
Conference name
Nordic Symposium on Tourism and Hospitality Research
Conference date
2018-09-24 - 2018-11-26
Conference place
Alta, Norway
Status
Published
Project
- The geography of fear: the tourist destination in the shadow of conceptions of terror