Getting ready for my Community Emergency Response Team class tonight and watching the coverage of Hurricane Sandy, and I had a few thoughts.
During the first week's class, our instructor, who really did help "write the book" that the feds now use for CERT training, stressed over and over that people need to get on Twitter -- they don't even have to tweet -- so they can keep tabs on things whenever there is an emergency. It's a thought I passed along to a few recalcitrant friends, although at least one who also refuses to join Facebook was a bit snarky in his response (which makes me think he'd have an even BETTER time doing the back-and-forth on Twitter).
Of course, social media is only as good as the people who are posting make it. And in the early hours of the storm, it has been a bit bumpy.
We've already had a bit of an online tussle about a photo at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Taken during a storm last month, some have retweeted or shared it stating that the three soldiers are out in hurricane conditions right now. While it is true soldiers are out there, the Old Guard quickly noted that what is circulating is not a current photo, and put some up at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.515517068472407.121621.109701809053937&type=1 They are no less dramatic than the ones making the rounds, and have the added benefit of truly reflecting what's going on.
This actually is not what I'm most concerned about. We have seen in the past that some people will retweet, repost or forward stuff without regard to its veracity. These are powerful tools that social media puts in the hands of everyone. While almost everyone uses them responsibly, do think twice about what you are hearing or seeing before hitting send. It is important that everyone remain vigilant and correct those who would misinform. If someone says you need to evacuate or boil your water, retweet from the official source, not your neighbor's dentist.
The next couple of days are going to be rough in the East. Facebook and Twitter are going to be valuable resources to keep people informed and in touch with each other, at least as long as they can hit a cell tower or their ISP. But if people clog these channels with half-truths or outright lies, their value is diminished.
It's an old saw, but no less true today: Just because it's on the Internet doesn't make it true.
There seemed to be less of this during the snowstorm that slammed New England over the weekend, but it could also be that I was not watching as much of the coverage or reading it online since we had great weather in Los Angeles and time to spend outside. We'll see what the next big news event that breaks on Twitter has to say about that.
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