The Power of Media in Disasters

We've learned that when disasters strike a major factor in the relief process is the amount of human compassion that is generated to provide aid. The more that the media is able to push our emotional buttons the greater the chance we will be compelled to donate. An equally large component in the global awareness and relief effort is the power of social media. The question arises, which is better social media or television? I don't think one is better than the other because as long as the disaster is being broadcast across the world why does it matter the medium?

In 2010, the earthquake in Haiti devastated the already impoverished country to its core. The social media world exploded with blogs and twitter updates of the crisis. There were Facebook pages created for donations and to help reunite survivors and tweets from Twitter that allowed you to donate directly from posted links. Although social media played a large role it was the regular media that had the largest impact on the relief. Celebrities came together for George Clooney's 24 hour telethon that had performances on live tv. The telethon raised 57 million dollars not including private donors and large company donations. The news was constantly broadcasting footage of the earthquake so in the case of Haiti it seems like the media played a larger role than social media. 

In the case of Hurricane Sandy though it was the exact opposite. The government relied heavily on social media in order to communicate with those affected and the relief response groups. Twitter and Facebook were used to organize relief groups and direct resources where they were needed especially in New York. Citizens were checking updates on their twitter feeds etc and picking and choosing their news rather than turning on the television and waiting to hear what they wanted. 

Which is the more effective means of communication when it comes to disaster, the television or social media? I think that they both are effective in their own respects because they both are spreading awareness as to what is occurring. They both have the power to make a change and inspire us to donate. It's possible though that the television can provide more of an emotional connection due to the able to display more photos with headlines while social media you can only see what you search for. 

Sources: 

http://inventorspot.com/articles/haiti_power_social_media_37166

http://www.emergencymgmt.com/disaster/Sandy-Social-Media-Use-in-Disasters.html