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Social Media: During Public Health Emergencies

Many Americans are worried about Ebola. They have taken to social media to vent, find validation, and look for the truth on this international health crisis. Ever since the first Ebola patient in America passed away at a Dallas hospital in October, paranoia and uncertainty have spread faster throughout the Internet than Ebola has in this country.

HipperUnfortunately, a ton of information is available to sift through on these sites to find correct answers from trustworthy sources. It can be a daunting task to figure out how to manage rumors and execute plans in the vast territories of Facebook and Twitter.

One of the communication studies department’s alumni, however, gave some insight on how to effectively communicate during times of health crises in a presentation to students of Dr. Yifeng Hu’s New Media and Health Communication course, devoted to exploring how emerging information technologies can improve communication and engagement regarding health-related issues. On November 13, 2014. Dr. Hu hosted Tom Hipper, ’07, who received his MSPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an MA in Health Communication from Pennsylvania State University, has experience in the crucial art of crisis and emergency risk communication working for the US Department of Health and Human Services, and is currently Program Manager at the Center for Public Health Readiness and Communication at Drexel University School of Public Health.

According to Hipper, crisis communication focuses on managing the emotions of fear, anxiety, dread, and uncertainty of the anxious audience, providing tools and steps for action, and avoiding hopelessness. “We realized that these are things that move people toward action, and you manage these emotions. You’re scared, you got our attention, and coupled with the right message and the right time, we could take action,” Hipper said of this practice.

Hipper stated that there is an “expectation for immediate communication” in our technological society, and that health officials need to connect with their audience, the American public, to give and receive the best information in times of emergency. He used Ebola to explain this concept.

“What we are dealing with is actual risk versus perceived risk,” said Hipper. He pulled tweets from Dr. Tom Frieden of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who seemed overconfident in his tweets to the concerned public about the containment of Ebola. Perceived risk should not force a credible source to overreach its ability, Hipper explained. “People think you don’t know what the hell you’re doing,” Hipper said if the information turns out not to be correct or plays out unexpectedly.

A large component of crisis communication in today’s world is through the use of social media. Hipper shared a few statistics on the use of social media: as of 2013, about 90% of 18-29 year-olds use social media platforms, and even about half of the elderly population who use the Internet have social media accounts.

Hipper noted in his presentation that “80% of Americans expect emergency response agencies to monitor and respond on social media platforms.” In times of emergencies, 1/3 of Americans expect help to arrive within the hour they posted for assistance.

These statistics show the hunger for information, particularly with issues of health and crises. Hurricane Sandy is a recent and relevant example for many of TCNJ’s population, where according to the College’s website about 95% of its students are residents of New Jersey. According to Hipper, there were 20 million tweets using the terms “Hurricane” and “Sandy” right after the storm, and approximately 10 storm photos were posted on Instagram per second. New York City embraced social media before, during, and after the storm to help its residents feel informed, calm, and connected. People are using social media as a way to become informed citizens about disasters happening in their country, as well as supporting one another in times of crisis and loss.

Hipper discussed how social media is now a recognized key tool to effective communication during a disaster: the ability to be first, to be right, and to be credible. Social media is creating a meaningful conversation between health and public officials with their audiences, instead of disseminating information with little feedback.

“If you want to be first, you better be on social media,” Hipper said.

The class and Hipper also discussed some new, innovative tools using social media and technology that could be useful for crisis communication in the future. He mentioned Twitter Alerts, Facebook Safety Check, mobile health, crisis mapping, and geo-localized tweets, many ideas which Dr. Hu’s class spent part of the semester researching.

Specifically for geo-localized tweets, coverage of crisis and help can arrive within minutes of the event. Geo-localized tweets “could speed up response time by minutes,” Hipper said.

It is important for health officials to recognize new media and technology as valuable tools for effective crisis communication. Moving forward, Hipper said, we can consider the possibilities of technology simplifying and quickening more credible and reliable plans of action for the American public, and eventually, the world.

 

– Meghan Coppinger

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