A Critical Evaluation of the Role of Social Media in Crisis Messaging during Disasters

1. A Critical Evaluation of the Role of Social Media in Crisis Messaging during Disasters Jessica Wickes1, Heather Koch2, Zeno Franco, PhD31 M3 Student, Urban & Community Health Pathway, 2 M2 Student, Global Health Pathway, 3 Department of Family & Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin Systematic Review Introduction In recent years, investigations have turned to social media, a worldwide reaching resource prevalent in all levels of society, and its capability to effect a more efficient and productive outcome in a disaster situation. These capabilities appear promising in synthesizing a coherent plan in a crisis situation, but there also exist significant hindrances to relying sustainably upon social media as the primary plan for disaster response situations.1,2,4 These hindrances are often under-recognized by technologists developing and researching these systems. A systematic literature review and local key-informant interviews explore the published and supposed capabilities of social media in the field of crisis messaging. The review and interviews further reflect the limitations of this communication avenue that often prevent the immediate adoption of social media in the important area of public health crisis communication with at-risk communities. • Results • Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST) and government domain websites • Capabilities • Observe virtually, communicate to public, handle remote operations • Continuity despite time zones or geographical conditions • Limitations • Internet/cellular phone coverage inaccessible in marginalized communities • Requires time to share events in fluid environments • Government websites have been known to crash • Milwaukee plans to use radio technologies or door-to-door communication to compensate • Hashtag and Geographical Mapping • Capabilities • Hashtags/user designated locations can map situations like the Ushahidi Haiti Project and Chicago food poisonings • Can filter tweets using hashtags, with phrases such as “damage” • In one study 95.45% vs 86.36% of mock casualties were found using no media vs social media, respectively, and using social media resulted in individuals found earlier • Tweets and hashtags enable grassroots responders • Limitations • Users can relocate quickly during events and designated locations change falsely or may not be geographical • In one study, only 0.23% of 53,296 individuals had any geolocation metadata on their tweets • Chicago discovered it can be more time-consuming to map situations than perform simple data extrapolation • Government Communication with Public • Capabilities • Tool for multi-directional communication • Individuals express public needs through social media • About half of respondents reported to Red Cross that they would be willing to contribute to online databank or information • Limitations • Emergency professionals are trusted over governing authorities • Organizations are not all experienced in social media • About 60% of state health departments use social media • Milwaukee’s public health department (PHD) has about 1200 followers with little response from the public • Milwaukee’s PHD’s social media presence is not widespread, but is connected with news reporters • Statements must be quick, inclusive, and thorough despite character and education limitations • Retweeting and Social Media Rumors • Capabilities • Retweeting is collaborative filtering by local community • Limitations • Boston bombings demonstrated rumors can perpetuate by retweeting or propagation on official channels • Chicago and Boston demonstrated that resources are misallocated due to rumors Conclusions Social media allows for a multi-way communication with people in a crisis situation. It can be used in a situation geographically far removed from the actual situation, while simultaneously allowing those heading the response to see the situation at the ground level. It allows resources to be appropriately directed, and individuals in danger to be quickly informed of the situation. Despite the numerous benefits of using social media as a response system, there are many potential disadvantages including spreading rumors and further marginalizing those without access to media, whether due to age, socioeconomic status, rural location, or due to immediate situational circumstances, including loss of internet or phone service. These consequences have specific ramifications for public health and crisis communication to marginalized communities. Thus, before social media can take the front seat in society’s response to disaster situations, communities need to determine how best to increase engagement, globally increase access to social media, and sort out false rumors quickly.3,5 • Resources • 1. Hughes, A. L., Palen, L. (2012) The Evolving Role of the Public Information Officer: An Examination of Social Media in Emergency Management, Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 9. • 2. Latonero, M., Shklovski, I. (2011) Emergency Management, Twitter, and Social Media Evangelism. International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management, 3, 4, 1–16. • 3. Nilsson, S., Brynielsson, J, Granasen, M., et al. (2012) Making use of New Media for pan-European Crisis Communication, Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (ISCRAM 2012), Vancouver, Canada. • 4. Terpstra, T., de Vries, A., Stronkman, R. and Paradies, G. L. (2012) Towards a realtime Twitter analysis during crises for operational crisis management, Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (ISCRAM 2012), Vancouver, Canada. • 5. Veil, S. R., Buehner, T. and Palenchar, M. J. (2011) A Work-In-Process Literature Review: Incorporating Social Media in Risk and Crisis Communication. Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management. 19, 110–122. • Method • Systematic literature review • Keywords: “disaster” and “social media” • Source: Google Scholar • Restricted to recent publications (2012-current) • Interviews with key informants • Selection criteria ranged from in large-scale disaster experience and community engagement work • Groups • Community-based organizations • Government agencies • Healthcare systems • Located in a mid-sized city in the US Midwest • Questions focused on familiarity with the US Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) “Whole Community” approach; current relationships between the marginalized communities, departments of Public Health, and healthcare systems; and large-scale disaster experience