Social Media in the Face of Tragedy: Is There a Right Way?

Social Media In the Face of Tragedy: Is There a Right Way?

BAA.org

Words usually flow easily for me – a fact which makes sense considering my line of work — but I struggled over the past week in attempts to write this post. How many synonyms are there for horror, depleted, despair?

To say it was an emotionally exhausting week doesn’t begin to describe the agonizing angst and grief felt by most Americans, even more for those of us from Boston. Too many images evoked memories of 9/11, the terror and helplessness we felt and the realization that our world would never be the same.  Upon initially hearing of the bombings at the Boston Marathon we frantically battled cluttered cell phone networks, seeking assurances that loved ones were safe. As the hours and days passed, filled with images and stories of runners or spectators with horrific physical injuries and unfathomable emotional damage, our horror — and our and anger — grew. At the end of the week, we watched footage of communities under siege, a surreal martial-law world where the term “shelter in place” did not begin to describe the horror of knowing a deadly terrorist could be ten feet away hiding in your suburban backyard (as he was).

A number of clients and colleagues have asked me about the protocol for use of social media following a tragedy like last week’s terrorist bombings at the Boston Marathon and the subsequent aftereffects. While in my workshops, I point to trending topics on Twitter as potential marketing opportunities, in instances like this one our moral compass must guide us very far from appearing to capitalize on a horrific tragedy. If there are best practices, it seems to me they become irrelevant in such circumstances.

There is another perspective to consider, though … without the involvement of the community and those present at the marathon, whose photos, videos, text messages and memories helped law enforcement to piece together the events, the perpetrators of these crimes may not have been captured.

Since the first bomb went off at 2:50 pm last Monday, we were desperate for information, and then to find some way to help. Feeling powerless to do so in any meaningful way, many of us turned to social media. Even among those who hold their privacy very close, in a quest for answers last week, I was asked if it is possible to search on Twitter without having an account (yes — use search.twitter.com). While the internet and social media have created a culture in which we are accustomed to sharing information in real-time, we do need to tread very carefully to do so with good intention and respect, particularly in times of crisis.

Last week’s news feeds showed a seemingly endless thread of posts about the marathon bombing and the aftermath. Numbing and tragic images of heartbreak, desperation and pain. Yet through the horrors, there were glimmers of inspiration … bringing us together as Bostonians, as Americans, as human beings — and reminders that we stand united. Visual affirmations of heroism, selflessness and patriotism. Homage to acts of kindness and unfathomable courage. Inspiration to help in whatever ways we can, and to begin to heal.

So to respond to the original question … is there a right way to use social media in the face of a tragedy? Use it to show that we are united as Americans, to support to those in pain, to provide aid, and to help the wounded to heal. Please consider making a donation to help the victims of this tragedy, and honor them with a moment of silence at 2:50 pm today.