Short abstract:

The present study focuses on the Swedish civil defense infrastructure by exploring the materiality and affects of civil defense communication signals, those who manage and control crisis information processes, and the sociotechnical relations with the public.

Long abstract:

During times of crisis, the public depends on a functioning and trustworthy information infrastructure to be able to prepare themselves and get to safety. In Sweden, important messages to the public are distributed through radio, TV, and text messages, and during serious threats an outdoor warning siren can also be used. The outdoor warning system has been around since the 1930s and was initially built for emergency and flight alerts in case of war. In 1986 the system started being used for non-military threats such as gas leaks, toxic smoke, and extreme weather conditions. In recent years the warning system has been complemented with text messages that are distributed to mobile phones in affected areas.

Drawing from work on critical perspectives in crisis informatics and critical studies of media infrastructures, I analyze the Swedish civil defense infrastructure through three different cases: the maintenance and testing of the outdoor warning system in a municipality, the digital infrastructure of ‘important messages to the public’ at a government agency, and the distribution and public response of a national text message during the covid pandemic. This study explores ways of thinking about the materiality and affects of the civil defense communication signals, those who manage and control crisis information processes, and the sociotechnical relations with the public.