This policy seeks to improve knowledge sharing across Australian emergency management organisations about the effective uses of social media for crisis communication. It suggests the establishment of a support framework that provides guidance and direction on methods to promote and maintain effective information flows, to meet emergency management organisations’ targets in times of crisis, for the benefit of the wider population at national, state and local levels.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are now widely recognised as playing an increasingly important role in the dissemination of information during crisis events. They are used by emergency management organisations as well as by the public to share information and advice. However, the official use of social media for crisis communication within emergency management organisations is still relatively new and ad hoc, rather than being systematically embedded within or effectively coordinated across agencies.

This policy report suggests a more effectively coordinated approach to leverage social media use, involving stronger networking between social media staff within emergency management organisations. This could be realised by establishing a national network of social media practitioners managed by the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee (ANZEMC), reinforced by a Federal government task force that promotes further policy initiatives in this space.