PRVA science prize for thesis on disaster communication

Eisenstadt/Vienna, 9 June 2026 : We still have vivid memories of the widespread flooding in autumn 2024. They led to the entire province of Lower Austria being declared a disaster area. In his Master's thesis from the Digital Media and Communication study programme at Burgenland University of Applied Sciences, Florian Schodritz investigated how Lower Austrian authorities and organisations with security tasks (BOS) used social media in this acute crisis situation. He also asked the following questions: What content was communicated, what strategies were used and what role did social media play for information, coordination and public perception?

For his analysis, Schodritz relied on a complete survey of all social media posts by selected BOS on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok in the period from 12 to 30 September 2024. He also conducted a guided interview with experts.

The study results at a glance

• The social media communication of the Lower Austrian BOS was significantly more professional and strategic during the 2024 floods than in previous disaster situations.
• Social media was primarily used to provide information about operational events and to make their own work visible.
• Dialogue/participatory formats such as interaction or crowdsourcing only played a minor role.
• Some organisations already used social media as an additional source of information for assessing the situation.
• Systematic social media monitoring has so far only been established in isolated cases.
• There are clear differences between the organisations in terms of structure, resources and degree of professionalisation.

The study recommends the expansion of monitoring, coordination and participatory communication. There is also still a lack of overarching guidelines and automated systems for the coordinated analysis of user-generated content. "In the event of a crisis, social media is not a one-way communication channel, but a digital damage zone that also provides valuable situational information," emphasises Florian Schodritz. "However, my thesis shows that many emergency services organisations are still operating in traditional PR patterns. A change is needed here: finding and verifying data relevant to operations or combating fake news, for example, must be incorporated directly into operational command. This is the only way we can not only inform the population, but also actively involve them in crisis management in the spirit of modern participation."

Schodritz: "I owe it to the Digital Media and Communication degree programme at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences that I was able to explore these dynamics in such a practical way. The programme's cutting-edge training provides exactly the right tools for such complex research tasks."

The PRVA's Franz Bogner Science Prize is awarded annually in recognition of outstanding scientific work in the field of public relations and communication. The PRVA - Public Relations Association Austria is the Austrian professional association for PR and communication experts. "As the supervisor of Florian Schodritz's master's thesis, I am particularly pleased that he won first place. The thesis not only addresses an issue that has been little researched to date, but also shows what opportunities and risks are associated with it. The Master's thesis provides structured findings with high practical relevance," explains Sabine Fichtinger in her role as chair of the jury of the PRVA Scientific Senate. Head of degree programme Roither: "This year's award fits seamlessly into past awards for students of the degree programme and shows once again how well the Master's theses at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences stand up in comparison."

About the author

Florian Schodritz (born 1985) completed a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland, a Master's degree in Multimedia and Software Development at the University of Applied Sciences Technikum Wien and a further Master's degree in Digital Media and Communication at the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland. After working in the banking sector and at Kapsch, he began his career at the Red Cross of Lower Austria in 2019. There he is responsible for digital media and was honoured with the Ö3 Podcast Award in 2026 for the podcast "Am Berufungsort".

About the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences

Burgenland University of Applied Sciences currently offers 32 Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes at two study centres in Eisenstadt and Pinkafeld. There are currently 7,047 regular and non-degree students studying in four departments, namely Energy & Environment, Health & Social Affairs, Information Technology and Business, as well as in continuing education programmes. More information at www.hochschule-burgenland.at.

Enquiry notes: Mag.a Christiane Staab │ Marketing and Communication │ University of Applied Sciences Burgenland GmbH │ Tel: +43 (0)5 7705 3537 │ E-Mail: christiane.staab(at)hochschule-burgenland.at