nuclear-news

Limiting information might help governments, but does not serve the public good

When disaster strikes, let information slip through the net Canberra Times September 20, 2012 Nigel Snoad, “…..Google’s search data show almost anywhere in the world, when a disaster strikes, people head online for information – warning alerts, recommended actions, evacuation routes, the state of essential utilities, social services, shelter and access to food.

Tragically, this information isn’t always there. This can be for a variety of reasons: sometimes the information simply isn’t online, or it is in a format that is hard to share on the internet or view on mobile. Official sources such as government websites can buckle under a surge in traffic…..

There’s almost no justification for authorities withholding information. At a recent
disaster-information conference in the Japanese city of Sendai, participants – from non government organisations to government agencies – unanimously agreed that limiting information does not help calm people.

That consensus followed criticism of authorities for sitting on the release of nuclear contamination data for more than month because it was considered “not reliable enough” for the public, yet good enough to share with international agencies.

In an information vacuum, social media such as Twitter registers problems minutes after they occur; the information is soon in the hands of people who need help, as well as in the hands of people who want to help. Our rule of thumb is that the more information is
shared, the better it gets. Limits on information cause anxiety…..

It’s cliche to say collaboration helps us survive a crisis. What that means today is that information isn’t worth anything unless people are taking that information, adapting it, consulting it and getting it to the people who need it.  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/when-disaster-strikes-let-information-slip-through-the-net-20120919-266wd.html#ixzz272XFqfzY

September 20, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, media