Some quick thoughts following the terror attacks of today ... why social media is now an absolute necessity for authorities ... as well as a major headache.
Reports of the Boston attacks came with lightning speed. Too fast to keep up in fact. The pictures and videos are horrific: This kind of event underscores the need to be prepared. We often worry about the big stuff: attacks against airplanes or nuclear plants. But what about the threats from within? From radicalized extremists using unsophisticated means? A whole look at our preparedness (in Canada and the US) should be in the cards now ...
So a few observations about today's events, media coverage, reactions on social media, how people behave in a crisis and how authorities responded.
- We now, once again, have proof that news does break on social media ... even at live events. Twitter quickly serves to expand the breadth of perceptions, facts and opinions about ongoing incidents. Disasters and crises are now "live tweeted".
- An accompanying fact is that people (including digital volunteers) now have the ability to curate/collate the information as it unfolds on social networks and they can offer a wide variety of data and sources. Whether on Reddit or via Storify, we saw examples of this today. That can be a valuable addtion for situational awareness purposes. Youtube channels can even be harnessed to help tell the story. Rebelmouse is also one of my favourite social curation tools and can be very useful in an emergency. My friend Kim Stephens (@kim26stephens) and Brandon Greenberg used it today.
- I found it almost impossible to keep up with my own Twitter feeds and timeline. There was just too much traffic on this incident from my contacts. Lesson: monitoring big events such as this one in real time necessitates a team with the right tools to sift through all the data, collate the info and prepare it in a format that will support online engagement and decision-making by command.
- EM and first responder agencies now must include social media in their incident-response planning. The police and fire departments in Boston made fantastic use of social networks
- Rumour control is now an essential part of any emergency response. There were a myriad of false or invented stories flying around today. From a bombing in a library to dozens of other explosives being found all over Boston. Social media amplifies this misinformation and at the same times offers the most effective and faster means to counter it. I"m glad to see that more and more people are aware of this:
I've covered explosions/bombings among civilians. Pls, pls wait before jumpng to conclusions or spreading unsubstantiated rumors. #boston
@globejenpeter : Lots of rumors today. JFK Library explosion unrelated. No suspect in custody. Important to only report what you know....
- Mobile devices and derived technologies are critical following such an incident. So much so that they become overwhelmed, oversubscribed. It's important to note that the data/text capabilities generally remain available even if voice conversations are no longer possible.
Verizon: Enhancing network capacity in Boston's Copley Square; customers advised to use text/email to free up capacity for safety officials.
There were rumours that authorities had asked for the cell phone system to be shut down to prevent other explosive devices from being remotely detonated but that was just a rumour. It now appears essential for those who own/operate critical infrastructure elements to quickly coordinate and collaborate with authorities during incidents. This allows for extremely important services such as the Red Cross "Safe and Well" and Google's People Finder services to work and take a load off official agencies. - Finally, this kind of incident, where the worst among humankind kill, maim and scar men, women and children, also highlight the greatness of the human spirit. Courage, commitment and dedication abounded today from Boston's first responder communities and volunteers. Boston's Finest, Boston's Bravest and others answered the call. And ordinary folks also did their part.
Heroic: Reports of Marathon Runners that crossed finish line and continued to run to Mass General Hospital to give blood to victims
#myjihad
8 Comments
Thank you for your excellent analysis and insights on the event Patrice. I look forward to following up on the links to the various technologies you provided in your article.
It is sad that such events happen, but unfortunately they are a reality that we have to factor into our emergency management programs, no matter how complex the task. Hopefully this event will give the CanVOST initiative the much needed push it needs to make measurable progress toward developing the resources your article highlights that we need.
Thank you for your article great Patrice. You have really highlighted all of the pros (benefits and opportunities) that social media provide during a major incident. Yes, on balance, there are new challenges (cons) with social media, and governments and emergency management authorities must continually refine thier emergency plans, response strategies and concept of operations to adapt to this medium.
Social media, like incidents of this kind, are forevermore part of our society. Let's hope that today becomes a day where officials dust off thier plans and re-evaluate them and their capabilities for readiness.
Thanks for the great article. Very timely as well. As a front line responder, I find this sort of insight and the recommendations invaluable. The double edged social media sword swings in my direction fairly often.
Thanks
Interesting article Patrice. I find the difference in etiquette and how people use different platforms really interesting, and would be interested in your thoughts - is one platform 'better' than another, and if so, why?
Thanks for a great article. I was made aware of the event via Twitter and was able to follow all afternoon. This highlights how important it is to participate in the social network sites.
Excellent article and great analysis, thanks for insight Patrice...it was interesting to follow in real time most of the afternoon into the evening. We have to be on top of the social media and at the very least be monitoring and correcting errors or rumors. The public has expectations, as research has been showing, that for those of us in response being proactive with social media is a must. Our thoughts are with those affected, their families, responders and hospital staff.
Great article Patrice. I just posted my own lessons learned and wish i had saved myself the time and just read your article and pushed it out....
Thanks for all the comments. I guess the point is that social media cannot be avoided by authorities when responding to incidents or emergencies. That's because our audiences expect it so they're informed ... and also because every event is now broadcasted either by or both by traditional and social media. The key? Organizations have to join the fray and become their own network ... so they get their own stories out ... and do so via mobile ... Move at the speed of your audiences (social networks) and have a chance to be relevant .... use the tools your audiences use (mobile tech) and have a chance to be heard .... Organizations ignore these rules at their peril ...
Would you like to comment?
You must be a member. Sign In if you are already a member.