4. Press information makes way for public information
Emeritus professor of communication Betteke van Ruler already said it during the launch of her glossy CommunicatieNu: “The spokesperson is a dying profession”. We see that more and more. Public information is increasingly coming to the fore, it is the word of 2013. Where in the past most crisis communication took place via traditional media, governments now communicate more and more via social media such as Twitter and Facebook.
This may mean new competencies for certain advisors. Perhaps it would help to include insight into and experience with social media as part of the employee job profile . Just like Word, Excel or HTML used to be included in your CV. New times require new skills.
Curiosity is in our nature. A trend that already took off in 2012 will become even bigger in 2013. A disaster is all list to data of us. Harro Ranter, owner of Twetrics, has made a beautiful plot of our country during the evening that the riots in Haren took place. As it turned out, the entire country was busy on Twitter with the Project X party in Haren.
When there is a crisis, more and more people discuss the crisis online. In the past, they were still queuing at the barrier tapes, now they press their noses against the digital window. They all expect attention, answers to their questions and a listening ear. If they don't get it from the government, then they do from anyone else. In short: a factor that the government must take into account.
@HennieCastelein puts it this way: “The whole of the Netherlands gets involved in every incident. That makes environmental analysis and strategy difficult for governments”. Indeed, because in a time when aftercare is becoming increasingly important: who are the people involved? Who really needs attention? Time for the digital barrier tape!