Day-2 in the Joint Information Center starts out with…dispelling rumors!
Reuters reported that a Cleveland Police Transport van was shot near the Republican National Convention utilizing the #RNCinCLE.
#booya Reuters.
Immediate engagement using (retweeting) incorrect info.
Then JIC emailed out information to all media on media lists.
Also because of time and deluge of phone calls, the onslaught of emails, and the avalanche on social media…
Being nimble on multiple social media platforms, immediate dispelling of rumor in a public forum, and use of all associative hashtags was deliberate and purposeful.
We talk a ton about people who carelessly retweet, share, and re-purpose information. Whether mis-informed or attention seeking whores, it is likely that people need a bit more digital responsibility on line esp w/ social media.
Part of me thinks that min-informed people don’t believe in the power of social media.
Seasoned PIOs know the potential of social media.
However, check out the tweet from Mountain View Police Department’s Capt Chris Hsiung re: Dallas Police Department.
Well said Capt Hsiung.
I encourage many in my classes to be good stewards of information and not to skew truth as it can only delay the root cause from others. We will not be led astray or swayed by sensational tweets, posts, etc…We must rely on straight facts and truth.
Fox Sports reporter Emily Austen made the news…yes, she was the news this week when she FUBARed her career on FacebookLive. (If it helps, fast forward to 25:33)
Wait, did Emily just say “Like, I didn’t even know Mexicians were that smart.”
WTF!?!?!?!?
SMDH
Fox Network immediately fired her because of her comments on FacebookLive. Let that sink in for a moment. Fox Network fired her for all the inappropriate comments in this unaffiliated FacebookLive broadcast.
Yeppers-you can get fired for stuff you do on social media.
To be fair to her, Austen did post a statement about it here.
But, to add more fuel to this fire, here’s a story about it from Complex News.
Again, I repeat:
You can lose your job over a picture.
You can lose your job over a 140-characters (tweet).
And yes, you can lose your main job on a couch during a live broadcast.
All thanks to social media.
For more case studies on others who lost their jobs because of social media, check out this link.
In this case, what would have helped?
Not saying dumb things.
A behind the scenes PIO to help coordinate conversation.
Sticking to the “script” of the interview/session.
Professionally maintaining topic relevance and choice of words.
Sticking to communications strategy and abiding by identified corporate Policy/Procedures and SOPs/SOGs.
Or just straight up – don’t say inappropriate things.
Now phleeeze – go out there and use your social media live broadcasting powers for good!
Where is @rusnivek? 