Social Media Response and the Role of Balinese Women in Addressing the Flood Crisis in Denpasar City

Abstract

This study examines social media responses and the role of Balinese women in addressing the flood crisis that struck Denpasar City in September 2025. Data were obtained through observation, literature review, and interviews with credible informants, and analyzed using W. Timothy Coombs’ Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT, 2015). However, within the SCCT framework, the phenomenon of hyperreality also emerged, elevating the flood event into a national issue. Social media platforms such as WhatsApp, TikTok, and Instagram played a crucial role in disseminating information, shaping public opinion, and mobilizing social solidarity. However, within the SCCT framework, the phenomenon of hyperreality also emerged, elevating the flood event into a national issue. Meanwhile, Balinese women demonstrated a significant role by educating families about waste management, maintaining environmental cleanliness, and providing direct assistance to affected victims. Although social media proved strategic in shaping narratives and collective solidarity, structural mitigation and community participation remain key to preventing similar disasters in the future. Although social media proved strategic in shaping narratives and collective solidarity, structural mitigation and community participation remain key to preventing similar disasters in the future.