LAUSR

The 2013 outbreak of smog in China triggered unprecedented public attention in the country, which played a critical role in crisis communication and management. This study explores the determinants that influence public attention from the non-smog-stricken cities to the smog events. Following the literature on proximity, this study identified three influencing factors, namely cognitive, geographical, and organizational proximity, between two cities. We tested these factors by analyzing the public attention to the smog event that occurred in Harbin, China, on October 21, 2013. Data collected from Sina Weibo yielded 5409 Harbin smog-related Weibo posts sent between October 20, 2013, and October 31, 2013, from 113 cities. Results provide some support for the hypothesis.