Should CI operators use social media to communicate with the public during crisis situations?: Lessons learned from a pilot study in Oslo Harbour

Research on social media use in crisis communication usually focuses on use by either the public or emergency managers. Relatively few empirical studies have focused on another key player, critical infrastructure (CI) operators. This paper sets out to address this gap by examining Norwegian expectations of crisis communication from CI operators through a pilot study. The study uses an online questionnaire and compares the results to the current practices of the Oslo Harbour, which were examined via an in person, group interview. The findings suggest that the public expect CI operators to communicate during crisis via traditional and social media and that Oslo Harbour operators should expand their current practices to include digital media.