Social Media and the Internet in Crisis Management
Q1. Effects of changing media landscape
The changing media landscape has both positive and negative psychological impact on disaster victims. Internet penetration and the emergence of communication devices such as smartphones have allowed close to 75% of Americans to access instant information (Lachlan et al., 2016). Social media sites, websites, and blogs are the most commonly used channels of communication in the event of a disaster. The most frequently used social media platforms with viral are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Whatsapp sites. Even though these media are hailed for their speed, interactivity, and ease-of-reach, there has merged many rumors providing fake news to the public. People are traumatized by a crisis event and tend to obtain urgent updates on the situations. The victims can easily turn to social media as their source of information. However, if the social media provide fake news to the victims, this can further worsen their situation leading to post-traumatic disorders. Considering the case of the Sandy Hook Massacre, conspiracy theorists are adding salt to already injured relatives and families to the falsehoods about the incidence. However, these media are crucial in providing quick and urgent information in the event of a crisis. Nonetheless, social media can be both beneficial and disadvantageous in managing disasters.
Q2. Social media can be both beneficial and disastrous in the managing crisis caused by disasters. The onus is upon the crisis management team to make social media success. The success of social media in crisis management depends on the response of the crisis management team (Reuter, Hughes, & Kaufhold, 2018). Disaster creates psychological distress setting people into a panic, mainly if they are not updated regularly on recovery efforts. The crisis management team needs to provide urgent and accurate information to the public to avoid speculation and the possibility of falling into the hands of fake news. Communication from senior administrators and leaders is critical in mitigating the miscommunication from other sources. During a crisis, people look upon their leaders to provide information about the events to alleviate fear and uncertainty. Rumor millers can be combated by providing a reliable source of information and updates about the event. This can include a particular created Facebook page and a free toll line from where the public can make inquiries about the event. Most importantly, a communication professional is needed to guide the communication to ensure the right information is disbursed to the public.
References
Lachlan, K. A., Spence, P. R., Lin, X., Najarian, K., & Del Greco, M. (2016). Social media and crisis management: CERC, search strategies, and Twitter content. Computers in Human Behavior, 54, 647-652.
Reuter, C., Hughes, A. L., & Kaufhold, M. A. (2018). Social media in crisis management: An evaluation and analysis of crisis informatics research. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 34(4), 280-294.