Social Media Outreach Helps Haitian Earthquake Victims

0 Comment(s) | Posted Jan 14, 2010 by Peter Wylie

Peter Wylie

In times of great tragedy, it seems that the best uses of social technology come to light.  As reports poured in about the devastation following the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, campaigns to raise awareness about the relief effort started on Twitter and donations poured in via text messages. 

TIME reported that more than $1 million has been raised already via the Red Cross text campaign.  Web 2.0 innovations have enabled donation efforts such as the one in Haiti to be processed in amazing time.  Where donations once trickled in via checks and snail mail, organizations like the Red Cross can get instant infusions of capital from micro-donors to help those in need more rapidly.

The relief effort on the ground has also been augmented by use of satellite phones and Internet service, as much of the landline phone network has been destroyed.  Google Maps satellite imagery is also being used to coordinate relief efforts and identify particularly devastated areas.

While social media invites quick transmission of breaking news like the effects of the Haitian earthquake, it can also appear to be quite trivial and superficial at these times as well. Even Twitter co-founder Evan Williams admitted as much with this tweet: "I wonder what % of people tweeting to text a donation to Haiti have done so themselves. That's not meant to be cynicism, just curiosity."

Evan may not have meant to be cynical, but the message certainly conveys a sense of how easy it is to pass news and discuss a situation through social media channels without actually doing anything to help.  But the use of social media to raise awareness is an overall positive, in my opinion.  You can’t do anything about a situation you know nothing about, so even if response rates are low, publicizing the plight of the earthquake victims will result in more actions to assist them.

Thanks to everyone who donated, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the tragedy.

Filed under: Emerging Media, Old World Changing, Social Media in Politics, Twitter-related