Emergency preparedness and response is one of the most crucial aspects of disaster management. There is a need for the connection between the necessary stakeholders, to ensure information is disseminated as quickly as possible and that response plans are enacted as soon as a crisis occurs. Social media has become an instrumental news outlet in crisis management today ( Mirbabaie et al., 2020) Regardless of its effectiveness and efficiency in reaching a large audience, there are discrepancies related to this method of communication that makes using it a challenge. Additionally, there are challenges to effective communication that are related to disaster response systems and planning.
Social media as a communication channel that is marred by issues related to misleading and malicious information, social media integration problems and others that come with situational communication using social media. This is a problem that is prevalent at the grassroots, especially among first responders. The pictures taken after a disaster might either magnify a problem or make it seem less severe. Most importantly, there are challenges related to coming up with social media communication plans that can be effective and efficient for all stakeholders ( Le Roux et al., 2019) . It is also worth knowing that although the world has embraced social media as a communication tool, there could be resistance among some users in accepting it as an official form of communication. Even in cases where users accept it, not all can use social media platforms ( Smith et al., 2018).
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The use of mobile devices as a communication channel has different challenges as well. Effective planning in a way that ensures the collection of intelligence and disseminating the information to the necessary stakeholders is sometimes a problem ( Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans, 2010). This is especially an issue with the decision-makers. Another major challenge is inherent in the use of neighborhood communication networks. This mainly entails the use of trusted community leaders who go door to door. They are, however, limited in terms of the number of people they can meet. Most importantly, although it is recommended that all forms of media are used in getting information out, some communication methods such as the use of traditional media such as newspapers are becoming obsolete in many parts of the world. The information might not reach the target audience as quickly as needed.
References
Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans. (2010). Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101; Version 2.0.
Le Roux, T., & Van Niekerk, D. (2019). Challenges in stakeholders self-organising to enhance disaster communication. Corporate Communications: An International Journal .
Mirbabaie, M., Ehnis, C., Stieglitz, S., Bunker, D., & Rose, T. (2020). Digital Nudging in Social Media Disaster Communication. Information Systems Frontiers , 1-17.
Smith, W. R., Stephens, K. K., Robertson, B. R., Li, J., & Murthy, D. (2018, May). Social media in citizen-led disaster response: Rescuer roles, coordination challenges, and untapped potential. In Proceedings of the... International ISCRAM Conference .
