When a natural disaster hits, people often turn to social media for information, as it supports a level of rapid response not necessarily achievable by more traditional methods of information distribution. It’s this immediacy, however, that also makes it a convenient source for the distribution of hoaxes and misleading information. With people already disoriented or overwhelmed, people’s critical faculties are often strained, resulting in people sharing stories they would otherwise recognize as fakes.
When encountering a story that seems too strange to be real, Richard Smith, warning coordination meteorologist for the National Weather Service, says on Accuweather.com,“One of the things I always recommend is take a pause if you see something that looks unbelievable or extreme before you immediately share or re-tweet it. At least think about it for a minute.”
Smith also recommends checking the source, whether by a quick Google search, looking at whether a person is actually affiliated with any organization they claim to be a part of, or even if they have credentials which match the field of the topic under question. Warns Smith, “Anyone can be perceived as an authority in a disaster. If you happen upon an image that no one else has seen that is dramatic or important, a post from anyone can become just as viral or be shared just as if it came from a media source or an official weather source.”
Sources:
https://weartv.com/news/local/rumor-control-fema-addressing-rumors-regarding-hurricane-michael
