THE TRAGEDY OF SOCIAL MEDIA!

By Olumide T. Agunbiade

SOCIAL media has no doubt provided additional platform for people to share information and knowledge about things happening in their immediate communities and around the world.

But social media has equally exposed the beast in humans, at a level never experienced since creation.

In Nigeria, people now use the social media to peddle all forms of lies and outrageous allegations against anybody they wish to attack without fear of what such baseless and unsubstantiated stories would have on their victims.

The tragedy is that there is no law that controls the proliferation of the social media which is fast eroding the journalism profession in the country.

The situation is so bad that anybody can own a blog and publish whatever they want without care in the world. Most of the stories peddled by some bloggers have no by-line and there is no credit given to the source.

Nigerians must learn from advanced countries on how to use social media to shape an event of global interest. Why? Well, during the Boston Marathon bombings in United State of America, more than a quarter of Americans immediately took to social media to follow the story.

According to a survey report by the Pew Research Center, the online activity continued to shape the efforts; it has even been credited with helping identify suspects.

Ultimately, the end of the intense manhunt was announced by the Boston police not through traditional methods, but with a tweet. Clearly, social media continues to be a powerful tool to connect with a mass audience during a crisis.

However, as stories surrounding the Boston tragedy began to unfold, social media was a source of both information and frustration. Not only did major news outlets such as CNN and the Associated Press report incorrect information, but social media users fueled the false reports online, making it difficult for many to know what to believe.

Though, disseminating inaccurate information may be worse than no information at all. It is vital to maintain credibility, and nothing can undermine that faster than distribution of unclear, inconsistent or flat out wrong statements in the midst of a breaking situation.

 Social media is a two-way street, both a vehicle to send information out to the public and to receive information from those people. From runners, spectators, journalists, and the surrounding businesses providing firsthand accounts and ground footage, Boston investigators relied on all the information they could get at the onset of the marathon bombings. Ultimately, it was the public and its social connections that helped identify the suspects. Having a social media presence implies that the department is going to be listening to the community and have a trained staff dedicated to responding, especially during an incident when interaction can be overwhelming. Social media staff must be informed, well-spoken, and politically sensitive.

 Cell phone networks are not reliable during emergencies; systems become inundated or possibly even disabled by tactical teams to prevent improvised explosive devices from being detonated. In these cases, text messages are transmitted more effectively than voice. With phone lines jammed during the Boston bombing, many of the runners and spectators also turned to social networking sites like Facebook for communicating with others.

 Although the tragedy in Boston caused a spike in the police department’s social media following—an increase of approximately 70,000 followers on Facebook and 275,000 on Twitter since April 15—the department already had a good handle on its online practices. According to an article posted on the Web site MPHProgramsList.com, “The Department was able to act quickly to disseminate details of the crime to the public because using social media in this manner was already second nature. Their Twitter and Facebook accounts were already established and well-used prior to the attack.” Having a social networking presence in place well ahead of an incident is fundamental not only for understanding the capabilities and limitations of each platform before it is needed but for establishing a solid audience as well. By creating a line of communication with the public beforehand, departments will be seen as relevant and current. People should be looking to the organization as a local authority and reliable source of information.

Social media users must be prepared to know what to share and when to hold back. Communicating risk and threats in a dynamic environment can be complicated and, if not done properly, can create unintended consequences. For a clear and collected picture of the situation and next steps, authorities can also direct audiences to traditional media environments.

Additionally, people must also choose their words wisely; the potential for miscommunication can be amplified during emergencies—cues one takes for granted in face-to-face conversation such as body language, vocal intonation, and eye contact are absent. Avoid sarcasm or edgy humor to prevent offending people that may already be on edge. Staff must post cautiously to avoid sharing inappropriate content such as graphic images of victims or ordinary updates that would be seen as harmless on a typical day but insensitive during a tragedy.

Besides, the key focus of all social media activity should be to increase situational awareness and reduce further damage and confusion for the public.