The Decline of Twitter: Implications for Government Agencies’ Emergency Communication with Constituents

Police, Fire, Corrections, Government, and other organizations, are having difficulty connecting with people in order to disseminate critical information after recent changes to Twitter.  Twitter has long been hailed as a powerful tool for governments and agencies to engage with constituents during emergency situations. However, recently Twitter has stopped allowing automatic feeds to websites leaving many government agencies trying to fill a void of public notifications.  This change is posing significant challenges to government agencies and their ability to effectively communicate with the public in times of crisis. Just like other changes in social media, Twitter is causing us to adapt changes on the fly to ensure we are able to get the right information, to the right people, at the right time, so they can make the right decision.

For over a decade, Twitter has served as a go-to platform for real-time news updates, conversations, and public engagement. It allowed government agencies to swiftly communicate essential information during emergencies, such as natural disasters, public safety threats, and community awareness campaigns. With its concise format and widespread user base, Twitter facilitated direct communication, breaking news updates, and the dissemination of critical instructions to constituents.

However, the landscape of social media has evolved rapidly, with new platforms and changing user preferences reshaping the way people interact and consume information online. The rise of other platforms, like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Nextdoor, Mastodon, TikTok, and now Meta’s Threads has shown us that we need to diversify our platforms and not put all of our eggs into one basket.  For agencies who relied upon Twitter as a primary emergency notification platform, their followers may now be at risk for not receiving timely emergency communications.

Here is what we know at this point:

• Twitter has made significant changes to their policies, their blue checkmark verification process and trying to charge government agencies to continue to use their platform with unlimited posts.
• There is no plan at this time for Twitter to reverse their decision to eliminate auto-postings from websites.
• At some point, 3^rd party software companies MAY create a conduit to allow auto-posting on websites from Twitter.
• Each agency needs to evaluate your social media foot print and determine what platforms will work best for your community, and your agency during times of crisis as well as day to day business.
• Twitter should no longer be considered a source of emergency information for your followers.
• Meta’s new application “Threads” should be evaluated by each agency and considered as a possible solution to maintain lines of communications with the news media and other outlets.
• For agency with their own website, or other internal posting platform, you may be able to use IPAWS or 3^rd party Emergency Alert and Notification platform similar to Code Red, Rave, Everbridge, etc. to share information.
• For thousands of agencies, Facebook remains the primary conduit between the agency website and the public in order to share news events, press releases, images, etc.  I must remind you; Facebook uses their algorithm to determine if your message is important enough for Facebook to promote.  Ask yourself, “What if you need to tell people about an emergency and Facebook deems your post not important enough to promote?”

The declining use of Twitter poses significant challenges for government agencies, especially during emergency situations. Here are a few key implications:

1. Reduced Reach: With a shrinking user base, government agencies may struggle to reach a broad audience through Twitter alone. They must adopt a multi-channel approach, leveraging various platforms and communication tools to ensure information reaches as many constituents as possible.
2. Engagement Difficulties: Diminishing user engagement on Twitter makes it harder for government agencies to grab attention and convey important messages effectively. Creative strategies, such as visual content, interactive elements, or collaborations with influential social media users, may help capture audience interest and increase engagement.
3. Information Verification: As users become more cautious about trusting social media content, government agencies must prioritize information verification and ensure the accuracy of their emergency messages. Establishing and maintaining credibility is crucial for constituents to rely on official channels during times of crisis.
4. Adapting to New Platforms: To effectively communicate with constituents, government agencies need to explore and adapt to emerging platforms and communication channels. This may involve investing resources in platforms that resonate with target demographics or leveraging partnerships with influencers or trusted voices within the community.

While Twitter has played a significant role in emergency communication for government agencies in the past, its declining usage poses challenges in reaching and engaging constituents effectively. The changing landscape of social media demands a proactive approach from agencies, necessitating adaptation to new platforms, cultivating trust, and exploring creative communication strategies. By staying attuned to evolving user preferences and leveraging a multi-channel approach, government agencies can continue to foster effective communication with constituents during emergency situations in the digital age.

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