The growing use of social media — such as Twitter and Facebook — in responding to emergency situations is examined in a new report (pdf) from the Congressional Research Service.
“In the last five years social media have played an increasing role in emergencies and disasters,” the report notes. “Social media sites rank as the fourth most popular source to access emergency information. They have been used by individuals and communities to warn others of unsafe areas or situations, inform friends and family that someone is safe, and raise funds for disaster relief.”
While they have still untapped potential for improving emergency communications, social media can also be used — inadvertently or maliciously — to disseminate false or misleading information, the report observes. See “Social Media and Disasters: Current Uses, Future Options, and Policy Considerations,” September 6, 2011.
With few exceptions, congressional leaders of both parties are opposed to allowing direct public access to Congressional Research Service reports like this one. Perhaps they wish to foster a healthy public skepticism about the validity of official restrictions on government information, or a heightened appreciation for unauthorized disclosures.
At any rate, some recent CRS reports that are not publicly available from CRS include the following (all pdf).
“India: Domestic Issues, Strategic Dynamics, and U.S. Relations,” September 1, 2011. (This report notes in passing the curious statistic that “some 40% of American hotel rooms are owned by Indian-Americans.”)
“Desalination: Technologies, Use, and Congressional Issues,” August 15, 2011.
“U.S. Energy: Overview and Key Statistics,” July 29, 2011.
“U.S. Renewable Electricity Generation: Resources and Challenges,” August 5, 2011.
At a time when universities are already facing intense pressure to re-envision their role in the S&T ecosystem, we encourage NSF to ensure that the ambitious research acceleration remains compatible with their expertise.
FAS CEO Daniel Correa recently spoke with Adam Marblestone and Sam Rodriques, former FAS fellows who developed the idea for FROs and advocated for their use in a 2020 policy memo.
In a year when management issues like human capital, IT modernization, and improper payments have received greater attention from the public, examining this PMA tells us a lot about where the Administration’s policy is going to be focused through its last three years.
Congress must enact a Digital Public Infrastructure Act, a recognition that the government’s most fundamental responsibility in the digital era is to provide a solid, trustworthy foundation upon which people, businesses, and communities can build.