Interpersonal communication after 9/11 via telephone and internet: A theory of channel complementarity

Abstract

How did Americans respond to the crisis posed by the terrorist attacks of September 11 (‘9/11’) in their communicative choices? Proposing the theory of channel complementarity, this article argues that users of a medium who satisfy a particular functional need also use other media types to fulfill that need. Based on an analysis of the data gathered by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press immediately after the 9/11 attacks, it demonstrates that the individuals who communicated via telephone with family and friends about the 9/11 attacks were also more likely to communicate with family and friends on the internet.