The changing Role of Social Media in Emergencies

1. Stefan Raue School of Computing Science University of Glasgow The changing Role of Social Media in Emergencies Communications & Resilience Workshop Falkirk, 28th February 2012

2. Definitions Social Media Applications Social Media Applications: • “[..] a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content.” (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010)

3. Definition Social Media Applications - Examples

4. Definition Social Media Applications - Examples

5. Definition Social Media Applications - Examples

6. Definition Social Media Applications - Examples

7. Social Media Levels of SMA Integration & Public Engagement Proactive Benefit Active ProActive Public Engagement Passive Monitoring with operational use Active Public Engagement Passive Monitoring Information Dissemination ⓿ ❶ ❷ ❸ ❹ ❺ Level of social media integration

8. Social Media Integration Information Dissemination – Megaphone approach • Benefits: • Applications: • control over the channels (when / what / how / which) • speed of information dissemination • size of audience • increased visibility of existing content / organisation • warning and informing the public • campaigning and risk communication

9. Social Media Integration Passive Monitoring - Get to know your audience • Benefits: • Applications: • understand public’s perception / opinion • identify key stakeholders / influencers in communities, for specific topics, etc. • evaluation of own performance (e.g. popularity) • evaluation of campaigns (e.g. acceptance, range of influence) • static monitoring for specific events to gather information

10. Social Media Integration Active Public Engagement – Listen & Answer & Ask • Benefits: • Applications: • shape public perception / opinion • be more accessible to the public • reduce load on other channels (e.g. hotlines) • provide direct advice to your audience in non-critical events • ask / request information (e.g. missing people, eyewitness) • counter rumours and misinformation • ensure communities on a personalised level

11. Social Media Integration Active SMA Monitoring – Listen & Understand & Apply • Benefits: • Applications: • near real-time monitoring of incidents / events • improve situational awareness • information on demand from trusted sources • detect events of interest that might not yet have been reported or are still to come (e.g. illicit street party, riot inciting messages) • understand actions / plans / movements of groups of people • post-event investigation (e.g. suspect identification)

12. Social Media Integration Full Integration of SMAs into Operations • Benefits: • Applications: • receive information that is validated from trusted sources • receive information that is in the required format • link information received into other operational systems • alternative emergency call system • update on situations from public or volunteer organisations (e.g. on flood levels, snow depth, wildfires, ) • update the public in real-time about your operations (e.g. dispatched vehicles, stock levels of sandbags, shelters)

13. What are the challenges?

14. Social Media SMA Integration – Benefit, Cost & Risk • manage the expectations of the audience • make the objectives of your social media presence clear to the audience Proactive Benefit Active ProActive Public Engagement Passive Monitoring for operational use & COST Active Public Engagement Passive Monitoring Information Dissemination & RISK ⓿ ❶ ❷ ❸ ❹ ❺ Level of social media integration

15. Special thanks to @FredCavazza for making this graphic available under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

16. Social Media Challenges Start small. Fail early. Learn often.

17. Stefan Raue & Prof. Chris Johnson School of Computing Science University of Glasgow Thank you for your attention. Any questions? • Stefan Raue • School of Computing Science • College of Science & Engineering • University of Glasgow • stefan.raue@glasgow.ac.uk