PERSONALLY OFFICIAL THE USE OF FACEBOOK IN A

PERSONALLY OFFICIAL? THE USE OF FACEBOOK IN A CRISIS SITUATION PROFESSOR ORLA VIGSØ, JOURNALISM, MEDIA, AND COMMUNICATION UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG The Swedish Forest Fire of 2014 31 July 2014 — 11 August 2014

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG At least 37, 000 acres laid bare 1 person dead Firefighters from France and Italy called in

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG Norberg, Town & Municipality • Norberg is a locality and the seat of Norberg Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden with 4, 518 inhabitants in 2010 (5, 766 in the municipality). • The municipal administration is small, with 4 people in the “support” section, one of whom worked part-time with information. Official channels: • A web page • A Facebook profile

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG ”Norberg – Let yourself Be Surprised”

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG Who Provides Information During A Crisis? • On a national level: The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, through the webpage/app ”krisinformation. se”, and a call center • On a regional level: The regional councils (länsstyrelser) • On a local level: The municipality Problems, as experienced by citizens: • The national and regional channels are far from local knowledge – They cannot give specific information – The transmission of information takes too long • The local channels are understaffed

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG The Voice of/for The People? The political leader of the council, Åsa Eriksson (Social Democrat) decides to take action and use her own Facebook profile to provide information to citizens.

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG ”Meeting in the Crisis Management group this morning. Situation stable in Norberg […] police block reported to have been moved…”

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG ”According to telephone conversation with HQ at Ramnäs, all citixens of Norberg outside the fire area should be able to pass roadblocks and return home. Be prepared to show ID, as this only applies to people living there. ” (8 August)

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG ”From the regional authorities: Situation stable but serious. For the time being, no plans of ecacuating. […] No changes concerning road blocks or concerned areas. ” (9 August)

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG ”People of Norberg! According to head of operations Uddholm, there is a risk of a similar senario as this Monday. Keep listening to P 4 and be prepared if the situation should aggravate. ” (9 August)

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG ”The sound of planes and helicopters nearby feels safe. Head and body screaming for relaxation and humdrum life. I wash clothes, paint windows, and am truly thankfull to be able to let my shoulders hang down for a while” (10 August)

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG Public Praise Really good work! You are in my heart! You need all the praise! You deserve to relax.

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG … but also criticism: • ”So it’s not official information then? Not yet on the municipality’s Facebook page!” • ”According to people who have been to…” • ”How official is this information, Åsa? Second hand information. ”

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG • ”So it’s not official information then! • ”You can interpret it as you want, Pratima. The information comes from the HQ in Ramnäs, via telephone. ”

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG • ”Is this public, Åsa? Maybe it ought to be on Norberg’s FB page? ” • ”Maja, as Åsa is writing this, they are working feverishly to get the same information out through de proper channels. ”

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG Sacrifices on The Altar of… Popularity? • Criticism from the crisis management for: – – – Unconfirmed rumours No coordination with other information channels Lack of precision Speculations Problems with the withdrawal of false information The tone of the messages • On the other hand: – A wide-spread recognition from citizens that the political leader was actually trying to do something, that she was personally engaged, informative and informed, accessible, etc.

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG Pros and Cons of Personal Facebook Accounts Pros Cons Speed Lack of coordination with crisis management Familiarity for citizens Personal axes to grind or favours to gain Personal voice, empathy Risk of rumour-spreading

ORLA VIGSØ, UNIVERSITY OF GOTHEBURG • In Sweden, Facebook is by far the most effective channel for sharing information during a crisis. It is thus an evident choice for communication in a crisis situation. • Coordination between senders is crucial. Information must never be contradictory. • Don’t mix personal and official channels. Let people know in which channel you are personal and in which you are an official voice. • Be aware of the blurred lines between ”private”, ”public”, and ”official” – and the consequences of this blurring!