Social Media and Disasters

A recent Congressional Research Service report describes the increasing role social media plays in emergencies and disasters.

The use of social media can be conceptualized into two broad categories. First, it can be used somewhat passively to disseminate information. A second approach involves its use as a medium to conduct emergency communications, such as receiving a victim’s request for assistance. Currently, most emergency management organizations confine their social media use to the dissemination of information.