Question

What do you think are the most significant challenges, but also the potential benefits, of social media for emergency managers and PIOs (public information officer) in emergency management and crisis communications? Describe an example of an actual disaster or crisis incident in which social media had a major impact, whether good or bad. What is your assessment of how the organization, official or jurisdiction handled, used, or responded to social media in that event? Can social media ever actually be “managed?” Why or why not

Answer 1

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO Facebook has aptly said "When disasters happen, people need to know their loved ones are safe… It’s moments like this that being able to connect matters.” Highlighting the benefits of social media in emergency management.

Social media has evolved from being a place to look at the photos of what your friend had for lunch or his pet to a place where most people get their daily news. Today, the fist thing what most people do in the morning is to check Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter for notifications, trends and much more. Thus, when a crisis, such as a natural disaster or an epidemic, affects the public, social media, will always come into play.

Potential benefits:

1. The use of social media in emergency management situations has made many disaster relief organisations focus on boosting their social media activities. They alert the public of efforts they are preparing to give relief.
2. Moreover, even after disaster strikes, social media is still used to help others find their loved ones. For example, Facebook has introduced a feature that allows you to mark yourself ‘safe’ during an emergency. This feature will notify your loved ones that you are safe and reduce their anxiety.
3. Before, during and after disaster strikes, businesses across the globe use their company’s social media pages to tell their shareholders, customers, and different stakeholders of their standing.
4. Blogs are a chronological online diary that allow visitors to post responses to a discussion thread on a particular topic. Blogs can support in-depth interactive discussions better than a microblog such as Twitter that limits message length; however, they require creative content to entice the public to participate in the information-sharing process.

Most significant challenges:

Despite the many benefits of social media in emergency management, we must also realise that there are risks as well. Such as when the information is incorrect or malicious, in which case it hinders response efforts.

1. During a crisis or a disaster, with the rapid rate at which tweets and posts come in, your business should use social media with caution so as not to spread wrong information.
2. Anyone can report anything at any time on social media. It means that a lot of the information is not ‘verified’ from official sources.
3. We must be selective about the sources from which we receive our information. Scammers can use social media to ask funds from us. In the process; they may attempt to steal our bank details.

Real-life example of a disaster (COVID-19):

The impact that COVID-19 has had is unprecedented. Of course, there is the impact of the disease itself, but it is also forcing organizations to continue to operate while a large portion of its employees work from home.

For government social media managers and public information officers (PIOs) this has created many challenges. The public is desperate for information, not only about the spread of the disease, but also about available services and potential closures. And when the situation is evolving on an hourly basis, providing this crucial information can be difficult.

Within this framework of complexity, social media has placed various roles during this COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Effective health communication for the adoption of sustainable preventive measures and curtailing misinformation;
2. Public health communication to increase psychological resources and resilience in distinct age groups and socioeconomic conditions;
3. Effective strategies for helping individuals in dealing with social and physical distancing;
4. Reduction of stigma, prejudice, discrimination, and inequalities.

My assessment on how the organisations, official/jurisdiction handled are responding to social media in this event:

Herbal cures for coronavirus infection, pictures mimicking government notifications, communal content, audio clips declaring national emergency are few examples of how fake news and misinformation is being circulated on social media platforms sparking panic while making it difficult for the government and others to do do their jobs in these difficult times.

With increasing pressure from the governments on curbing COVID-19 related fake news, social media platforms are relying on fact checkers and users to report misinformation. In absence of an effective government plan to fast-track intermediary guidelines for social media firms, these companies have been rolling out measures.

For instance, apart from fact-checking and launching a messenger chatbot, Facebook has banned ads or listings selling coronavirus-related products such as masks or sanitisers. WhatsApp, which has been dealing with fake news and hate speech menace for long now, has launched a chatbot in partnership with health ministry for disseminating authentic information on COVID-19.

Can social media ever actually be “managed”?

In my view, Yes!

Social media can cause “unimaginable disruption” to democracy, if not regulated.

1. The government can formulate the rules to regulate social media platforms offered by companies such as Twitter and Facebook to curb circulation of fake news. Rules will help in curbing growing threats to individual rights and nation’s integrity, sovereignty, and security.
2. While things develop quickly, it’s still important to have some sort of communication strategy in place and not simply react to whatever’s happening around you.
3. While it’s important to remain open and honest in all your communication, it’s equally vital that you create (and regularly) update a “talking points” document that outlines what the official position of the organization is on various issues.
4. For instance, Social media is being dominated by Coronavirus-related hashtags at the moment. While it’s typically a best practice to leverage a hashtag that’ll help your message reach more eyes and ears.
5. While social media can spread scary stats and false information, it can also be used to calm people down and even save lives. Given the reach that a post can have, sharing basic but vital information around topics (during COVID-19 scenario) like hygiene and social distancing can have a real impact.