Project Title: Using Social Media to Communicate Science and Exploring the Role of Information During Environmental Disasters
Team Sponsor: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA)
Contact: Doug Helton, Operations Coordinator, NOAA Emergency Response Division
Team Mentor: Robert Pavia, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs
Project Goals
·
Identify strategies for developing internal
media expertise for communicating scientific information.
·
Identify and evaluate new media approaches for
help to establish ORR as recognized thought leader and resource for
environmental disaster and emergency information.
·
Identify and evaluate approaches for measuring
traffic and interactions on the ORR website, blog and social networking sites.
·
Analyze appropriate tools and communication
feedback loops on news topics and specific stories.
Project
Activities
The
following activities will be prioritized and evaluated as the project
progresses:
1. Assess current practices at ORR and similar
organizations and review recent and on-going examples and experiences with
social media and spills (e.g., Deepwater, Yellowstone River, Rena, etc.)
2.
Interview NOAA staff scientists to identify
key topics, concepts, and information products they feel are high priorities
for communicating with the public during oil spills and similar technological
disasters;
3.
Explore how scientific information was perceived
by the public and media during recent major events to identify areas where
messages need to be better communicated by evaluating formal and informal
information communication patterns;
4.
Identify key topics, concepts, and
information best suited for further study by evaluating information developed
in steps one, two and three;
5.
Explore and develop new media approaches,
including social media, advanced graphics, and video techniques, that can
advance public understanding of science and its role in mitigating risk in
environmental disasters; and
6.
Recommend alternatives for applying new
media within the context of existing organizational frameworks, such as the
Incident Command System - Joint Information Center, during emergency response
actions.
7.
Evaluate and recommend relevant resources
and effective tools for social media
For more information:
Our project is the keystone project for the Environmental Management Graduate Certificate through the Program on the Environment at the University of Washington.
For information on the Program on the Environment:
For information on the other keystone projects:
