Is every major controversy on the web a shitstorm?

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samiul12
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Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2024 10:38 am

Is every major controversy on the web a shitstorm?

Post by samiul12 »

Also no. Certain topics and people polarize. Anyone who is exposed must be able to put up with something like that, even if it may be difficult for some. A controversial discussion is also a sign of popularity.

This also applies to politicians, for whom insults on social networks are already the order of the day. As long as there are no real misdeeds of their own, there is no need to fear a shitstorm that will damage their image. Surprisingly, however, even people who have been proven to have made mistakes survive many waves of outrage. The internet and the public often forget more quickly than expected - at the latest when the next scandal comes along. But again: This is not a license for misdeeds. Some people facebook data and some companies have stumbled upon a scandal.

How great is the economic damage really?
In fact, nobody really knows for sure. Even the authors of the above study, which is actually the only truly scientifically sound work on the subject to date, admit that it is often difficult to separate the individual factors from one another. Is a company experiencing a drop in sales due to a crisis, for example, which also led to the shitstorm, or is this the actual cause, with the resulting high visibility?

However, that does not mean that there is no damage and that a shitstorm should not be taken lightly - just like any other communication crisis. The most important thing is to determine which grievances have led to the wave of outrage and whether there is something fundamentally wrong in the company. If, for example, there has actually been a serious violation of laws or moral norms, then even the best crisis communication can only limit the damage to a limited extent. Conversely, however, inappropriate behavior (see above) can cause additional damage.

Even if economic damage cannot necessarily be quantified directly, it is at least possible to assess the totality of statements on social media using the sentiment analysis mentioned above. This also makes it possible to determine when public opinion is turning positive again.
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