If you’re even remotely interested in emergency information, check out AlertMap. This disaster-focused mashup pulls together data from some 600 sources to provide an amazingly valuable service.
The tool, from a Hungarian non-governmental organization, is an exceptional source for up-to-date worldwide disaster information .
AlertMap displays 55 categories of emergencies and disasters from fires, to avian flu, [...]
While researching my presentation for the recent Talk Is Cheap unconference, I came across a fantastic post by Mark Glazer. Alongside discussing the response of media outlets to the first set of fires, Glazer noted the lack of hyper-local coverage of the fires.
What many people who are evacuated really want is simple information on the [...]
Following-on from my last post, last night I presented a session on the crossover between social media and crisis communications at the Talk Is Cheap unconference.
I spoke in particular about the 2007 California Wildfires and how social media could have been used more effectively (while appropriately) in that situation - in essence a longer, more [...]
Last night I attended the Talk Is Cheap social media unconference hosted by Gary Schlee and his students at Centennial College in Toronto (I presented too, but more on that in a later post).
In my view, the event was a rousing success. Over 200 people registered (about 25% more than the organizers expected) and most [...]
Communications training courses on traditional strategies and tactics just don’t cut it any more. The ever-increasing rate of change on the Internet, and its emerging impact on media consumption, means organizations need to seriously consider offering social media training to their employees.
This environment, along with a few well-documented faux-pas by PR practitioners, has had me [...]
I just discovered Wetpaint - a free wiki-hosting site that fully integrates a discussion forum into every wiki.
This site is very cool - it produces great-looking sites and has already attracted big names like CSI: NY, Food & Wine magazine, fuse.tv and Mythbusters as clients. According to a recent release, Wetpaint currently hosts almost 600,000 [...]
What should an online newsroom look like?
I’ve spent a fair bit of time in the last few days researching the current state of online newsrooms. I’ve looked at the private sector and the public sector, both within Canada (federal, provincial and municipal) and internationally.
My conclusion: most organizations aren’t using their newsrooms effectively.
From the 28 newsrooms [...]
Immediacy is one of the great things about new media/web 2.0.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the coverage of the devastating wildfires down in California recently.
I’m fully aware that crisis communications must focus on traditional channels - TV, radio, print - in today’s media environment. However, quick and responsive new media tactics provide [...]
While out running recently, I re-listened to a Six Pixels of Separation podcast during which Heidi Miller talked about the social media overload in her life. I got to thinking about how I feel about social media overload and the implications it has for the tools I use.
I first dipped my toe into creating content [...]
Check out this amazing video on how the Internet is forcing us to adapt the way we organize, find and indeed think about information.
I don’t like to gush about things, but this is cool. What’s more, it’s true.
Hat tip: Ed Lee from Blogging Me Blogging You. Thanks Ed.
