Investigating Social Media Management, Adoption and Challenges - The Case of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Social media and innovative Web Services and solutions are offering new possibilities for innovative use in different aspects our lives. Being apart from getting involved in using social media would add more challenges to our daily activities, as we are becoming more reliable on their use. Social media platforms are offering its users new means of communications, where users who post, share and comment on online published information have the potential of reaching a large mass of people in a very short time when compared with traditional use of media. Such use of social media platforms makes it very useful and important to be adequately consider as means for better preparing and responding to a critical event and may offer many benefits in terms of protection and rescue for agencies dealing with civil protection, as they provide wider opportunities for people to engage in warning and informing others in a response to crisis events. This study is part of a wider research conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it will focus on discussing the current views of governmental officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina when it comes to the use of social media in the field of protection and rescue activities. The findings are presented in order to pinpoint challenges that will be used as a roadmap for any future solutions in this regard.

Keywords: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Flood Crisis, Situation Awareness, Natural Disaster, Social Media, Civil protection.