The crisis that is currently evolving in Egypt and the protests has captured the eyes,ears, and voice of the global community. There are many key issues involved in this particular crisis that has generated discussion and comments about the role of technology in a crisis situation, how to communicate and share information through multiple formats with others outside the country, and the need for connection to finding out what is going on to reduce people’s level of uncertainty regarding the events happening in Egypt. This crisis is just one that has implemented social media into communicating messages and sharing information in a moment of turmoil and chaos.
Visualizing Egypt's Internet Blackout (Courtesy of Mashable.com)
One of the issues that is being discussed is the amount of Internet access in Egypt, and how it dramatically decreased in just a day – this is quite shocking to see how technology and forms of communication could go from one side of the spectrum to another in a very short amount of time. Mashable has a good infographic outlining the timeline of this to present it in a visual way.
However, there are individuals that are bypassing the roadblocks being set up with Internet access and have shared this information through social media. In addition, there have been bloggers in Cairo that have been able to share their insights and information to others about what is going on in the country, and this is one example that the LA Times reported on that is related to the events in Egypt. In addition, people have turned to Facebook and Twitter to share this information as well – and even though there have been some challenges in not being able to get access to the Internet, some users are finding ways around and sharing this information again with others through Twitter and Facebook.
So, what does this situation in Egypt tell crisis communication professionals about social media? First, visuals and having those individuals there telling their story from an eye-witness account is definitely persuasive and brings the issue home to a lot of people. Pictures, videos from cell phones, tweets, and blogs are just a few ways to share this information – but the thing that this crisis has shown crisis communication professionals is that people are using multiple formats and platforms in sharing their story and making sure that their voice is heard not only in their community, but with the rest of the world. Secondly,this crisis also shows professionals the power of social media in organizing and gathering information and insights about a specific event immediately and finding alternatives in sharing this information. Forming communities and creating social activism have been developing among the online community with this crisis – not only in Egypt, but around the world.
In addition, this is not a crisis that is just in one country – but it involves the entire global community – people all around the world are following, discussing, and commenting on the status of this event. Making sure to communicate clear, concise, and strategic messages about the situation in a timely manner while also taking into consideration other variables (ex. media, language, culture) in the crisis communication messages is also essential as well.
These are just a few of my thoughts on the subject. Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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