Effects of Emergency Information Release on Negative Emotions of Netizens

Abstract

In emergencies, the generation and spread of negative emotions pose a serious challenge to social governance. However, the existing information release strategies mostly underestimate the infection and propagation abilities of negative emotions. To solve the problem, this paper analyzes the statistics of Weibo posts on the RYB kindergarten child abuse incident. Based on the theory of three rhetorical appeals and the visual rhetoric theory, the textual features were examined in terms of credibility, emotion, logic, images, videos and links. On this basis, the authors discussed the impacts of information release on the negative emotions of netizens in emergencies. The results show that the appeal based on emotion helps to weaken the negative emotions, especially anger and sadness; the visual rhetorical strategy of texts and videos cannot effectively suppress the negative emotions, especially anger and sadness. The research results provide reference for the government and media on emergency information release.