Curating a Gallery of Crisis Engagement: Analysis of User Generated Content of the 416 Fire on Instagram

This study identifies how communication, specifically social media communication, can be used as a platform of engagement and participation by individuals impacted by a crisis, but not directly involved in the management process. Utilizing the context of the 416 Fire in the summer of 2018 in southwest Colorado, the analysis of user generated content shared on Instagram suggests that social media communication in a crisis is a response strategy in which each individual sharing photos/posts is engaging with the crisis in a way that invokes reflection. The findings showcase how social media sharing is a means of engaging with and through the crisis in an effort to connect, reflect, share, and contribute to the crisis management efforts. Understanding the dynamic processes of communication associated with crises, notably climate related crises, is important for tourism scholars, industry professionals, and policy-makers in an effort to identify and reduce impact on related communities