In Crisis, Public Officials Embrace Social Media

With Hurricane Sandy, public officials and government agencies have embraced social media to a greater degree than ever.

For proof, look no further than the Twitter feed of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York: 400 messages on Oct 30, 300 on Oct 31 and well over 100 on Nov 1, featuring everything from photos of storm surge damage to updates on power restoration. It is usually Cuomo’s aides, not the governor, typing the messages. But he and his staff recognize that social media “is a highly effective method of communicating information in a time of crisis,” said Joshua Vlasto, Cuomo’s deputy communications director. The governor’s followers have increased to 50,000 from 20,000. Although phone service has been spotty in some places across the Northeast, people with working signals have been reliant on texting and social networking to a degree not seen during previous disasters.