#SMEM: SOCIAL MEDIA IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ALLISON PENNISI & CHRISTOPHER TARANTINO

Allison Pennisi Senior Communications & New Media Specialist – NYC OEM Virtual Social Media Working Group member – DHS NYC Social Media Advisory & Research Taskforce Christopher Tarantino, CMCP CEO – Epicenter Media & Training Digital Communications Specialist – FEMA Subject Matter Expert – NDPTC

DRASTICALLY Social media has DRASTICALLY changed the way we interact with one another on a regular basis. NO EXCEPTION The impact on government entities is NO EXCEPTION…

4 Things to remember: 1. “Do” social media BE SOCIAL, stay engaged 2. Start with a PLAN 3. Know your GOALS 4. Understand how to measure SUCCESS. The Rules of Engagement

Although constituents turn to emergency management/public safety agencies’ digital outlets for information when there’s an emergency, it’s key to begin educating the public ahead of time. Foster a two-way dialogue Provide interactive content Sharing is caring Social Media: Day-to-Day Operations

Establish a protocol BEFORE an emergency occurs. Example: Designate one or two individuals to serve as messengers, and encourage others to repost/share the same content to their respective audiences Advise users to follow specific accounts and to check certain websites for updates Consistency is key! Have a Plan

Public information is CRUCIAL. Coordinate to provide accurate, timely and consistent information. Because of the shift to digital and the rapid-fire way information is disseminated, the use of social media has become a necessity. Use of Social Media During Emergencies

Social Media Monitoring & Crowdsourcing Monitoring: passive search based on varying degrees of specificity depending on mission and/or goals Crowdsourcing: leveraging the crowd in various ways to provide, find, and produce new information

The speed with which misinformation and rumors spread via social media, especially in an emergency, is staggeringly quick. Do… Share information from official sources Tap into your influencers Check your sources Ask questions Don’t… Spread unconfirmed information Rumor Control

When faced with misinformation: 1.Be proactive 2.Monitor & watch for trends 3.Broadcast official information (cite sources!) 4.Correct influencers spreading misinformation 5.Notify command/PIO 6.Continue following up Look at that shark!

It was OEM’s job to make sure the public was aware of the severity of the storm, and how to prepare for it. Messaging quickly shifted from reporting the weather forecast to briefings from the Mayor, and any other relevant information regarding the storm and how it would affect New York City and its residents. During Sandy, the City sent: Over 2,000 tweets Reached a Facebook audience of 322,338 people Gained 176,010 new followers on social media The City’s social media reach during Sandy was 2,785,806 people. Use Case: Sandy and Social Media Snapshot of the typical Coastal Storm Plan timeline, courtesy of the NYC OEM. Coastal Storm Plan Timeline

Consider Using a Social Media Management Tool NYC OEM and other agencies rely on such tools as HootSuite (below), Tweetdeck, and other dashboards to help with message management and dissemination across platforms.

Other Tools You May Need In addition to the basic social media management dashboard, you’ll also want the following in place: URL tracking & shortening (Bit.ly or Ow.ly) Social & website analytics/measurement Passive monitoring Archiving/summarization Back-channel communications – for conversation between EOC, responders, volunteers, etc. Alerting platform (should integrate with social media as well)

“With great power comes great responsibility” Educate the public about emergency preparedness even if an incident isn’t imminent or occurring Consider developing a protocol for social media messaging when disaster strikes. Avoid spreading rumors, but keep in mind who your influencers might be Trust your instincts Be social… To Recap:

Q&A Session Ask us anything!

Thank you! Allison Christopher