Kerry Shearer KerryShearer Twitter / KerryShearer Kerry.Shearer@gmail

1. Using Social Media to Communicate in Emergencies • Kerry Shearer • KerryShearer.com • Twitter.com/KerryShearer • Kerry.Shearer@gmail.com

2. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com What We’re Covering • What is social media and why is it important? • What is happening with traditional media? • How will the public communicate in an emergency? • Examples of social media use • Getting Started tools

3. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Social Media Revolution (Video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations. View video at the following link): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4gt62uAasE Source: Eric Qualman - Socialnomics.com (via YouTube)

4. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com What is Social Media? Social media are “primarily Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio.” Source: Wikipedia

5. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com What is Social Media? It’s a change in how people discover, read and share news, information and content. It transforms one-to-many monologue into many-to-many dialogue. Source: Wikipedia

6. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Reaches People Where They Are! • Via text on a mobile phone • Through the web on a mobile smartphone • On social networks, such as Facebook and Linked In • On blogs and microblogs • Through online video

7. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Red Cross Survey - August, 2010 16% have used social media to get information in an emergency Source: Red Cross

8. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Red Cross Survey - August, 2010 More than half would send a text message to a response agency if they needed help and couldn’t get through on 911 Send a text message to a responseagency, if available Ask others to help you reach aresponse agency through a socialnetwork like Facebook or Twitter Post your request for help on aresponse agency’s Facebook page Send a direct message via Twitterto a response agency Source: Red Cross

9. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Where Americans Get Their News • 58% of Americans watch local news • 23% under age 30 read local newspapers • 34% of the public goes online to get news (same % as those who listen to radio news). Adding in cellphones, social media, and podcasts increases it to 44%. • 36% get news from traditional and digital sources • 39% rely solely on traditional sources Source: www.People-Press.org Sept. 2010 survey

10. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Big Media is in Flux! • Most newsrooms have downsized • Newspapers are dying or in severe financial trouble • Many TV stations hiring “all-in-one” reporters who shoot, report, edit and upload stories

11. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com The Public’s Expectations Are Changing • No longer are the “experts” the sole voice of authority (vertical communication). Now, it’s a horizontal model. • Social media, i.e. one’s friends, colleagues, and others, have become more trusted and influential

12. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com You Must be Part of the Conversation! See what happens if you’re not. Case-in-point:Vaccinations Anti-vaccination uploads overwhelm reliable information based on science and research

13. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Channels are Multiplying! • The number and diversity of sources of information will continue to multiply rapidly. • That makes it more challenging to get your message to the right person with enough frequency so that they hear it. Graphic Source: www.FredCavazza.net

14. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Channels are Multiplying In an emergency, it is critical to combine traditional outreach methods with the best social media approaches to reach as many people as possible as quickly as possible with timely, accurate information. RadioTVNewspaperYouTubeFacebookTwitterBlogsPhoto streamPodcast

15. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com The “News Cycle” is DEAD • In the world of the Internet, there is no news cycle. It is continuous. • Communicators are expected to respond immediately to feed the demand for information. Sacramento County Public Health news conference - H1N1 Sacramento County Joint Information Center

16. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Anzio Williams, News Director, KCRA-TV 3Explains that a photo and a caption can be a story (Video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations. View video at the following link): http://www.youtube.com/kshearer1#p/u/8/54EZKO8f99M Source: Kerry Shearer interview of Anzio Williams

17. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Social Media Leads the News “Miracle on the Hudson” U.S. Air jet into the river:first reports are from social media sources (Accompanying video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations).

18. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Social Media Leads the News Haitian earthquake: tweets, Facebook messages, text messages and more communicated the tragedy. The wireless data network miraculously survived.

19. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Social Media Leads the News Nashville Flood: Twitter connected people with critical info, such as closed roads, missing persons, emergency aid stations, and volunteer opportunities.

20. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Social Media Leads the News San Bruno Gas Explosion: social media communicated news of the disaster, photos, video, and was used as a news source by the media (Accompanying video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations).

21. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Anzio Williams, News Director, KCRA-TV 3Discusses social media; San Bruno, CA natural gas explosion (Video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations. View video at the following link): http://www.youtube.com/kshearer1#p/u/7/zIKnOhiGGBg Source: Kerry Shearer interview of Anzio Williams

22. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Social Media Leads the News Roseville Galleria Mall Fire: The Sacramento region shared the news via social media and news organizations used citizen video and multiple social media tools to gather information and report the news event of significant regional interest (Accompanying video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations).

23. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Jason Montiel, Managing Editor, KCRA.comDiscusses use of Facebook; Roseville Galleria Mall fire (October, 2010) (Video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations. View video at the following link): http://www.youtube.com/kshearer1#p/u/10/SwHo27j55x0 Source: Kerry Shearer interview of Jason Montiel

24. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Sacramento County Public Health Social Media Use: Northern California wildfires

25. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Sacramento County Public Health Social Media Use: H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic (2009-2010) • Twitter - Real-time clinic updates, news releases • Facebook: Video, photos, interaction, news releases • YouTube - Videos with critical information & clinic updates • Skype - Live news interviews • uStream.tv: Live news conference webcasting

26. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Getting Started • Do you have a social media champion who can lead these efforts within your organization? • Get your management and I.T. staff on board. Communications staff need access to these tools if they are to be effective in meeting today’s demands. • Determine your communications objectives by defining audiences, selecting your tools, Familiarize yourself with these tools now so you’re comfortable with them and ready when a crisis hits

27. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Amber Mac on Social Media BasicsSays it’s important to be authentic and be consistent in your online presence (Video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations. Though I only used a short excerpt in my presentation, you can view the entire video at the following link): http://www.ambermac.com/archives/1250/my-abc-news-chat-5-tips-for-social-media-newbies/

28. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Emergency News Releases • Newsrooms and the public are consuming information 140 characters at a time. Approved information should be released the same way during an event. • Media and the public will be monitoring your social media feeds. You’ll get critical information out faster and be viewed as more responsive. • Short chunks of information are just what today’s newsroom web content producers want Drop the idea that you only release all-encompassing news releases in an emergency

29. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Emergency News Releases • You can use Twitter to post automatically on your Twitter page, your Facebook page, your blog, your web site, and your Emergency Operations Center web site. • One message, sent from your phone, goes instantly to multiple locations, so you don’t have to log in separately to update the sites. Twitter widgets can save you time in an emergency

30. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Jason Montiel, Managing Editor, KCRA.comExplains that you are now dealing with a web producer as well as a reporter (Video removed from download version of presentation due to file size limitations. View video at the following link): http://www.youtube.com/kshearer1#p/u/9/c7AWtCW3lug

31. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Monitoring Social Media • Google Alerts will search for keywords you select and send you e-mail alerts • You can search Twitter using hashtags (# plus a keyword) • Technorati will allow you to search blogs to see what others are saying about you Traditional TV newscast media monitoring is no longer enough. Make sure you are also monitoring social media.

32. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Books Power Friending(Amber Mac) The New Rules ofMarketing & PR(David Meerman Scott)

33. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Social Media Policies www.SocialMediaGovernance.com

34. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Stay Current on Social Media www.Mashable.com

35. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Stay Current on Social Media www.Twit.tv

36. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Stay Current on Social Media www.ProCommunicator.com.com

37. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Tech Toolbox • Video cameraCheap (Flip or Kodak Zi8) or $$$ • Audio interfaceShure X2u XLR-USB; pro mic, free Audacity software • Verizon Mi-Fi cellular broadband • Telestream Wirecast for live streaming video

38. Using Social Media in Emergencies www.KerryShearer.com Thanks for Attending! Contact Information:www.KerryShearer.com www.Twitter.com/KerryShearer Kerry.Shearer@gmail.com