Swarm journalism and the future of crisis communications

The blurring of the lines between professional news organizations and reporters, and citizens reporting on event through social media, means a necessary change in your crisis communications response posture.

The death of singer Whitney Houston brought great sadness to a lot of people but also provided yet another example of the power of social media in how people get their information. While the question of the veracity of news being "broken" on social networks is being debated, organizations should not miss the following essential points: 

• legacy or traditional media are no longer the primary audience in your crisis communications planning 
• news move at the speed of social media ... instantly, from everywhere to everyone 
• any organization must have the ability to monitor social networks and respond on the same platforms within minutes 
• holding statements are done ... (especially if they're issued an hour or more after the first tweet ...) and should be replaced by constant (in routine situations) and ramped up (when the crisis comes) engagement on social networks from the moment the crisis erupts ...

The traditional lines between professional journalists and citizen-reporters are blurring by the day.

This video from Mashable on the latest tool to allow media to manage news comiing from social networks sources is only a sign of the rapidly evolving process where information created, distributed, consumed on mobile devices by all sorts of people, professionals or not. While it's not an easy process for legacy media, the tide is just too strong for them to resist ...despite their best efforts.

This means that organizations can no longer ignore the social aspect of any crisis. If they do, they severely hamper their capability to respond and engage effectively. The "head in the sand" approach certainly won't work.

So, when the "swarm" of social reporters, news outlets and your stakeholders are talking about you .. on social networks, on the air or with clients and rivals, you need to know, you need to be present ... and that means using social media .... or you can decide to ignore the crisis ... and go down with your ship ... (or not ...!) ... that's where leadership matters ... 

The value of dissent and diverging views

The last few days have been very interesting for anyone monitoring the #smem hashtag. In a nutshell, camps have formed over whether or not to live tweet (or use any other live social networks) during exercises or not. Also, whether it's relevant to play in an open or closed loop ....

That discussion culminated with last week's #smemchat where opinions exchanged were certainly heated ones but valid points were made on both sides of the debate ...

I welcome dissent and challenges to generally-accepted practices ... those of us who have been involved in SMEM for a while don't pretend to hold the Truth as handed down from Mount Sinai ... Well, I certainly don't ... I have opinions on how best to do things and I share them freely ... but I'm also smart enough to accept new ways of thinking when they're relevant and make sense. In fact, it might be a bit early in the process of integrating social media into emergency management to talk about "best practices".

Frank exchanges of opinion, open and heated exchanges are what make things go forward, stimulate new thinking and get more people involved. In fact, collective and mass-acceptance of a single point of view can stifle that very progress. Does that mean I can't have an opinion and defend it robustly? In my view, social networks and mobile technologies have forever changed how we respond to disasters; they have democratized emergency management and made crisis communications an immediate concern for any organization when an incident occurs. Does that make me an extremist? 

I think not ...I've said many times that the people of #smem are some of the smartest folks I know ... I've learned more in the last couple of years since my online engagement began with this collective, than in the previous decade ... BUT ...I will cease to take part if I feel that respect is not at the heart of the debate on #smem and #smemchat ... I have not seen that happen yet ... I don't think we will (despite some close calls perhaps ...) because the people involved recognized the value of this tool.

So, all "extremists" welcome ... even the most neutral of centrists ... the least dogmatic and all those in between ... 

Until Friday's #smemchat (12:30 eastern time) ...

When command and the people at the top get it ...

There's a growing consensus among EM and crisis communications professionals that social media has changed how your response must be staged or, at least, what needs to be added when you respond.


Yet, there seems to still be some reluctance to adopt social media as an effective emergency management tool. While many practitioners see the value of social networks as information channels, many still ignore the potential to inform their decision-making process. Just think of the valuable contribution the crowd can make in enhancing your situational awareness. 


So when the top EM person in the US says that social media is now an imperative and that speed is key, the hope is that more people will listen. Craig Fugate, the head of FEMA, put it very succinctly in a recent article. When he looked back at the delays following Hurricane Katrina, because official assessments took time, he compared it to a more recent disaster where social media played a key role:

When tornadoes ripped through Joplin, Mo. in May 2011, FEMA had enough information--although imperfect--from Twitter and Facebook to suggest that the situation was dire, said Fugate.

"The 'official' part is overplayed," said Fugate. "If you want to make social media real you have to see [the public] as a resource rather than a liability."

My good friend Kim Stephens recently referred to a great interview with the former Commandant of the US Coast Guard Thad Allen. The admiral made it clear where he stands on the use of emerging technologies and public participation. In a nutshell, his position is that SM brings enormous benefits to the response itself but also in terms of openness and transparency by governments and agencies:

" ... you need to be able to get that information out in a timely manner because if you aren't, there's generally a perception that there's information being withheld or you're not being open and honest about it. ... Here's what I tell people: it really doesn't matter what you think. It really doesn't matter what your position or your policy is in government or a company. The public can participate in these events because there's no barrier to entry on the internet. 

If you're not out there and you're not interacting and you're not providing information, then the public is only going to hear what is said from people who are trying to observe it from where they are, and they may not have complete information. Each government has a responsibility to put the entire picture out there.

So, there you have it, most of us can only hope that we'll get this inspired leadership and recognition that we must move at the speed of our audiences and use the tools they use to be effective. It should be an easy point to make in times of very tight fiscal constraints: social media allows you to more effectively deploy resources to respond and recover from disasters. 

Here's more from Admiral Allen on social media (again, thanks to Kim Stephens)

How social media are impacting news organizations and what it means for EM

How are news stories put together? What role do social networks play in what becomes news and how the stories themselves are told? 

These are some of the issues I address in my guest blog in Emergency Management Magazine. The blog post has been made even more relevant by recent articles on how large news organizations (SKY, BBC and CNN) handle social media. 

Don't hesitate to tell me what you think!

The Superbowl: a good way to test your social media monitoring chops?

There is no doubt that the tweet traffic during the Superbowl (and all other posts on social networks) will reach levels similar to those following a major disaster.

A good way to test how you can keep track (or not ... and in itself ... that can be revealing too) of what's being said ... A suggestion: try to follow tweets/topics related to security or first responders. How to go about it?

1. set up your monitoring ... are you a fan of the dashboard look? think Netvibes ... Or do you prefer to scan between columns? think Hootsuites, Tweetgrid or Tweetdeck ... for more on how to go about it, see here ... and here's why it's a good idea.
2. find out which hashtags and other topics to follow and keep an eye on .... especially those who apply to the stuff you want to monitor in particular ... you can try Social Mention and Kurrently to get started ... think outside the box: search by location .... use Trendsmap, GeoChirp and related tools  See tweets and trends on maps.
3. Add to your sources of info ... go to RadioReference.com to follow (whenever you can) what's being said on tactical radios near the game's site. 
4. filtering info: some basic tips here to help reduce overload ... filter hashtag columns on Tweetdeck and other tools ... the grand-daddy of filtering tools is Swiftriver and another useful tool DataSift.
5. Finally, if you've made it this far ... try your hand at basic crisis mapping ... with crowdmap ... visualize the info you've aggregated so far on a map ... 

A useful tutorial:

Let me know how it works ! 

What if? ... Are you ready for 2012?

I'm thinking the Mayans and others (St. Malachy, Nostradamus, etc...) may have been onto something ... 2012 indeed looks very ominous ... just kidding

One thing that's a fact, is that disasters are coming more frequently than before and are proving to be more costly, if not in lives lost, certainly in their economic impact. I think it's fair to say that most First World countries are prepared to deal with a major disaster ... No one has perfect plans but we'd cope with a strong earthquake (still the biggest killer), industrial accident or severe weather outbreaks.

We have all heard the old adage about one ounce of prevention being better than a pound of cure. Well, it's still true. However, in times of tight fiscal conditions, preparedness often seems to be among the first budget cut targets. This certainly seems shortsighted when more and more of the so-called "low probability" events actually happen.

And, it seems, the risks are pretty well known. The luminaries currently meeting in Davos, Switzerland, have a pretty good handle on identifying the risks. Will action follow?

I've mentioned above that we're moderately ready to respond to a major disaster. But what about multiple disasters? Or, one that cripples our critical infrastructure?

This brings me to my own "worst case scenario" ... a general failure of the network of networks that all of us take for granted and allows for the light to come on when we flip a switch, for our water to pour out when we go to the tap, and, our Internet to be available when we turn our our laptops.

But what if? ... Cyber threats are terrifying in their potential calamity.2012 is already forecast to be a "breakout year" for cyber attacks and threats. We have seen reports in the last few months, of actual attacks or perceived security gaps in critical infrastructure:

• rail and transportation
• water treatment plans
• power grid

That's just the top of the iceberg. Whether state-sponsored or terror-related, cyber threats are real. We know major countries are preparing their cyber arsenals (the United States, China, among others). The cyber warriors even admit their own systems are at risk.

By some accounts, the cyber security business is going to reach 66 billion $ this year and continue to increase by 10 per cent every year as industries try to bolster their defenses. Is it enough? 

Time will answer that question. But I believe that emergency managers should plan for the worse and get ready to deal with a cascade of failures of the very systems we normally rely on to organize our response to disasters. We know it's happened before (Latvia, Georgia, Iran ...). We know there are direct threats to the links that make all the networks work together.

So, how do we answer the call without power, satellite communications, disrupted transportation system, gas and oil pipelines where nothing will flow? ... Not a pretty picture ... Perhaps a bit alarmist ...outlandish? I think not ...

Of sinking ships and internet protests: the power of the crowd in the social age

Of sinking ships and internet protests: the power of the crowd in the social age:

I've written before (on this forum and on my personal blog) about the "age of social convergence" and its meaning for emergency managers and crisis communicators. In a nutshell, social networks have changed crisis management imperatives. They bring the need for speed, pre-approved communications plans and tactics that can be launched immediately…

- Author: Patrice Cloutier

Take 2: democratization of EM and crisis comms

You want more on how SM can change how we respond to crises? I was just checking my Twitter links and this story came in ...thanks to my good friend @thefiretracker2 ... It's about a new social networks analytics tool that reads trends and emerging patterns ... here are some claims:

Quantum Leap Buzz's unique capabilities include but are not limited to:
1. Getting emerging news stories before they are reported in the media
2. Getting actionable intelligence before the competition
3. Setting notifications on your dashboard for trending-developments with updates texted directly to your cell phone
4. Issue analysis. The ability to see patterns of sentiment around issues important to you, personally.

Now, if the first two items don't resonate with you ... you're missing the whole point of social convergence.
Read more in my previous post from tonight.

Thanks

Age of social convergence and the democratization of EM

This the first substantial post of the new year for me. Since my last post before the holiday break (my top 25 #smem countdown), I've had some time to reflect on some trends that I observe in emergency management and crisis communications.


The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced we're into a truly transformational phase which will impact the work of emergency managers, business continuity planners and crisis communicators. Simply put, emerging technologies and trends have brought about a generalized "democratization" of these fields.


Let me explain. Three factors motivate my position:

• the growing importance of social networks and mobile technologies
• the overwhelming realization that speed is EVERYTHING 
• greater public participation and input

The consequences of this are numerous but they all add to the immediate workload of EM folks and crisis communicators when an incident/disaster occurs. You must respond, alert/warn, monitor and then engage/communicate. In all this, social networks and mobile tech play crucial roles. A recent blog from my good friend Kim Stephens highlights the importance of mobile.

Second, the speed at which incidents and crises (and it doesn't matter if they're in the real world or virtual/social network related ... they will all hurt you if not handled properly) ... means that delegation of authority and the automation of comms response processes becomes absolutely necessary. To be able to "handle" such a crisis ... you need to use the tools your audiences use. 

Or you can ignore the risks and social media chatter (and you'll kill off your rep or your entire bottom line) or go on a misguided offensive without really engaging with your audiences. Former senator Chris Dodd is learning the harm in doing that in his response to the SOPA protests as the Hollywood mouthpiece. The fact is, if you handle things correctly, people will defend your actions ... come to your defense even. 

Third, social networks bring greater participation from your stakeholders and audiences. That's the great democratization factor. Online communities coalesce rapidly over topics, crises and disaster recovery for example. Emergency managers and officials now have to deal with all sorts of newcomers to the EM table ... from crisis mappers, crowdsourcing groups and online volunteers.

Here's an example of how the crowd can contribute ... from a new piece of tech developed in Australia.

Sirenus is developing a computer network that will take information on a disaster threat from a variety of sources including official, mainstream and social media, and combine this with crowd-sourced information from its own users and subscribers. It will sort, categorise and rate this information and then deliver information to users automatically and immediately via the Smartphone, Web, Social Media (Facebook, Twitter), email and SMS (text message). Users will have real-time, localised and personalised information at their fingertips.

The three factors combine to make a questioning of the IMS/ICS necessary? do we need a new position in command to handle the extra outreach workload? Or should the PIO and LO  share the work? When response becomes more diffuse and activities are decentralized, does command retain the same meaning? Where in the doctrine should social media monitoring and data mining/analysis be placed?

To help answer these questions ... you must read the two documents just released by the US Department of Homeland Security ... download the two PDFs and have a read ... at first glance, they offer the outline of a brighter future for EM ...

Would be glad to hear from you on this ...

When leaders come together

I'm currently taking part in a very interesting experiment on the power of social media in emergencies. As part of today's #smemchat ... we're asking for as many people as possible to help build interactions and networks .... all the while, helping a great charity.

Find our more here: sm4em.org