Natl Weather Service Bans Social Media

by on May 13, 2010 in Social Media

nws_whatstorm

We are getting reports this morning that the National Weather Service has issued  an internal memo that prohibits all NWS employees from using social media outlets to spread weather related information.

I’m working on getting confirmation. (see the official NWS response below)

Follow the conversation on twitter with the hashtag #NWSfail

I’ll post any links or documentation as soon as I get it. If you have any information or you can confirm/deny this report please fell free to contact me.

Update 10:54A

3 people have now verbally confirmed that NWS HQ has issued this memo. However, no one can speak publicly due to the risk of jeopardizing their relationship with NWS.

Also I noticed the following text replacing an initial blog post written by someone associated with the NWS. All weather/twitter related posts have been pulled from this individuals blog.weather

NWS is a government agency that is presumably established to inform the public of what is happening with the weather… add that to the fact that the current administration is all about Open Government and this is a very strange move.

The NWS is part of NOAA and the following is an excerpt from their About page,

NOAA’s dedicated scientists use cutting-edge research and high-tech instrumentation to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers and other decision makers with reliable information they need when they need it.

NOAA also has a page entitled “NOAA & Social Media” that states the following,

the Government is turning to social media to share news and information with the public, unlocking the mysteries that once surrounded our programs and activities and truly being more open

Let’s hope this philosophy holds and the NWS either retracts or denies the memo.

Update 12:27p

I have spoken to the NWS Public Affairs office and I’m awaiting an official statement from them. I’ve also been put in touch with NWS Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and hope to hear from them as well.

Update 1:21p

Official NWS Policy Response

I just got off the phone with the NWS Public Affairs office and I’d like to thank Mrs. Buchanan for taking the time to speak with me and clarify the NWS policy.

The National Weather Service is under the guidance of the Department of Commerce and is therefore subject to “standard government policy” that restricts all employees from using personal accounts to “conduct the business of the government”. The NWS policy on social media has not changed but they did issue a “guidance memo” reminder to NWS station managers last fall reminding them of this policy.

The Dept of Commerce has recently reached an terms of service agreement with twitter and the NWS is working toward a policy that would govern social media usage.

Does their policy ban employee use of Social Media? Yes absolutely. But the policy isn’t new.

I’m confident that a memo was sent out in the past 24 hours that reiterated this existing policy.

While every organization needs a policy concerning social media the NWS response is short sighted and ill conceived. There is potentially life saving information that NWS employees can share via Social Media and if they do so they can fully expect to be muzzled.

The NWS also responded via Facebook

fb_response1

Background

A couple of weeks ago I posted a story, “Tornado Alley, Twitter Style” about how Arkansas used Twitter during severe weather. I highlighted the excellent reporting by a local NWS employee. I seriously doubt the NWS has ever heard of this blog but I can say many of my NWS contacts started getting quiet soon after.

Let’s hope the National Weather Service is listening and open to reconsidering their policy. Help us spread the word just click to tweet.

rt_nwsfail

You can also join the Facebook Discussion and share your thoughts directly with the NWS.

I invite you to read the follow up on the NWS crackdown and the potential reasons. “As the Radar Turns”

Tagged as: #arwx, #NWSfail, Policy, Twitter

  • http://twitter.com/robbymatthews Robby Matthews MBA

    This is the difference between Twitter & bloggers & a national credible organization like The NWS, they don't rush to post “unconfirmed” things. They have standards that they must adhere to, they value being “correct” versus “first”. and the NWS is held accountable for its posts unlike bloggers and twitter users.

  • http://KnowtheNetwork.com Keith

    I'm sorry if you disapprove, but everything is backchannel reports and
    unconfirmed. I'm trying to gather info and hope to have credible
    documentation shortly.

    If the story comes out as false I'll be the first to post a retraction and
    apology but if the story proves to be true then I hope that real news
    agencies can investigate the story.

    I think there is worth in trying to get the story out because I have folks
    who can't say anything asking me to help.

  • http://stephswonderfullife.blogspot.com/ Stephanie Haley Williams

    I understand the need to be accurate outweighs the desire to be first – no one wants to cause undue mass panic (like screaming “fire” when there is none) – but a ban on using social media goes too far when the goal of the service is to disseminate information to the public as thoroughly as possible. Perhaps the NWS could tweet all “confirmed” information with #confirmwx or the like.

  • http://twitter.com/steve_shuler Steve Shuler

    Yes, confirming information and getting the facts right is extremely important. But I don't think anybody is disappointed that the NWS isn't going to be delivering the 7-day forecast. What's bothersome is they have severe weather information they could be giving to the public at a time when it could save lives. No longer will they tweet if there is a tornado warning in a certain county, or if a cell is showing signs of rotation over my house. By the way, this is information they will still release to TV news stations and the newspaper, just not to social media. In other words, they aren't holding back information because it isn't confirmed. They're just limiting who gets access to it. That seems rather irresponsible and arrogant. Guess we'll just have to rely on the Twitter community to fill in the gaps the NWS is going to leave vacant.

  • http://twitter.com/mrjawright j wright

    Also, you have to keep in mind the ease with which someone can disseminate bad information very quickly via these media. Combine that with an emergency situation when lost of people just 'want to get the word out' and this could get very bad, very quickly.
    The NWS has a responsibility not only to ensure the accuracy of what they release, but that in an emergency people know the best, most reliable sources of information.
    I have to side with the NWS on this, until & unless they can get 'verified' accounts so people know which sources to trust.

  • http://twitter.com/robbymatthews Robby Matthews MBA

    Actually, it comes down to a responsibility to only disseminate accurate information. Keith you did not hesitate to run with an unconfirmed report, I have an unconfirmed report that Steve Shuler & and Keith Crawford beat up an orphan in a wheelchair last night. Organizations like the NWS who's job is dispensing information, can't have every person in the organization sending out unconfirmed information, it jeopardizes the brand.

  • http://KnowtheNetwork.com Keith

    I went with an unconfirmed report only after I realized that no one that had
    the facts could talk about this online. I make no apologies for trying to
    get the word out and I'm making great strides to ensure that people know
    that all of this is unconfirmed.

  • aaronbreddin

    Freakin' love it. This is why more people rely on bloggers (or “tweeters”) to get their info.

    Call me ignorant, but I'd rather have a half-truth right away than a “confirmed” truth a week later. You have to sort through the BS with any news source. This is no different.

    At least you are smart about it and make it clear to your readers that it is NOT “confirmed”. That's the beauty of blogging. Nice work dude.

  • http://twitter.com/steve_shuler Steve Shuler

    Robby, you're missing the point completely. It's not that the NWS is releasing unconfirmed information. It's that they are stopping posting their own weather warnings. They don't have to confirm a tornado warning; they issued it! They'll tell the TV and radio stations and the papers, but they won't release it on social media?! Really?!

    Now if the NWS has a leak problem or somebody posting bad info, that's another issue altogether. But you shouldn't cut off your hand to deal with a cut finger. Address the problem without damming up the newsflow altogether. Authorize certain people to speak for the brand. Issue certain guidelines for posting. But stopping posting to social media entirely seems brash.

  • http://KnowtheNetwork.com Keith

    I realize that is a risk but it is also the power to get the word out.

    I completely understand that the NWS needs to ensure accuracy and reporting but initiating a ban on employee use isn't the way to go about it.

    The NWS, like every organization, needs a social media usage policy but when they are asking good people with good info to not share it I think that is completely unacceptable.

  • http://twitter.com/chad_gardner Chad Gardner

    I'm not going to mention names here… but if you want confirmation, just dig around on the net and you'll find that a lot of reliable information posted during the last two weeks of severe weather… has now been pulled.

    I agree that this information needs to be controlled and only issued by verified people. Simple solution… verify those people. The Little Rock twitter community quickly verified a local met about a month ago and he became an invaluable source of information.

  • http://KnowtheNetwork.com Keith

    Thank you Aaron. I've got friends that are being directly affected by this policy change. I've never been one to support rumors and I'm trying to be responsible but I'm also trying to get the word out.

  • arkstfan

    I've never seen a point so totally missed.

    No one wants or is asking the NWS to tweet anything other than information they are releasing through other avenues, hopefully with an appropriate hash tag and in 140 characters without need for a link to get time critical information. Demanding an end to Twitter disseminatIon is like ending release to radio and if you can't find irresponsible baseless information on the radio it is because you don't have a rado.

  • http://www.facebook.com/US.National.Weather.Service.gov Curtis

    Hi Keith, We're (National Weather Service) still on Facebook, but we've never started posting weather forecasts there. The NWS already has a robust delivery system for weather alerts (we trigger the Emergency Alert System and are on the web at Weather.gov). We are actively seeking official government twitter accounts so that we can experimentally test using social media for distributing government forecasts and warnings. General government policies are clear that employees can’t use their own personal social media accounts (or other personal digital communications) to distribute official government information on behalf of the government—including forecasts and warnings.

  • http://twitter.com/chad_gardner Chad Gardner

    This was taken directly from the NWS website: “Any time lives are at stake in the immediate time frame, NWS will send out the information first by any effective means, leaving for later any concerns about whether a product or service is appropriate.”

    This link: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/sp/pubprivpolicy.htm contradicts the actions NWS headquarters has taken by limiting their meteorologists from spreading information.

  • http://KnowtheNetwork.com Keith

    Curtis, Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

    I completely understand that the NWS hasn't officially committed to social media and there are more hurdles to overcome before that strategy can be developed. The NWS does a great job and the information is golden.

    Which brings me to my point of contention… in absence of an official presence and social media policy the NWS response is to completely silence their experts. I've got a big problem with that. When people were getting info about storms only from twitter then I think the NWS should be a part of that conversation. Formally or Informally.

    While I respect the governmental redtape that the NWS is subject to I must say I don't by the federal policy a bit. Barack Obama and half the federal gov is on twitter. If the NWS decided to make it a priority then it would have happened already.

    I'm completely baffled and a bit ruffled when I consider that the NWS is funded by my tax dollars.

    Again, I appreciate the NWS and your comment but its time to move this situation forward.

  • http://twitter.com/JamesonLewis3rd JamesonLewis3rd

    Impeach BHO. Now. Before it's too late. He's already got you thinking he actually cares about anyone's needs. He can't see past his heavy eyelids.

  • http://twitter.com/Bobby_Barrett Bobby Barrett

    Maybe I'm under-reacting here, but I honestly don't take issue with the NWS policy on social media – the policy prohibits employees from using their “personal” accounts to act in an official matter as an agent of the organization. ANY company with half a brain has a similar policy for non-repudiation purposes. Read that as “only conduct business with business accounts to ensure the validity of the individual you are dealing with”.

    I think that some people over-reacted to the policy and took information down that (as long as they weren't doing it on behalf of the service) was perfectly fine to leave up…but, that's water under the bridge now.

    Let's get down to brass tacks here – the big beef is that the governmental agency isn't “up to snuff” on cutting edge technologies; rather than rail against them and lambast them, perhaps we should assist them and encourage them on how to get there.

  • ChadGardner

    Bobby, I agree with your first paragraph. Regarding assisting them, that's what we're trying to do. The local meteorologists at the NWS want to use Twitter. In the past they have used it very effectively to inform people about weather events. Regrettably, the local mets with the “know-how” of using Twitter are not being allowed to do so. This has nothing to do with any of the regional weather offices because they've all been equally silenced. This was something that came down from NWS headquarters. So the local guys know exactly what to do and were doing it very, very well. The decision-makers up in Silver Spring, MD are the ones confused about how to pronounce Twitter. Since the local mets have been silenced, we have to take it up the chain-of-command for them and help spread the message.

  • http://twitter.com/HillReflects Calvin Hill

    How would this affect the Weather channel? Don't they continue to interview NWS employees?

  • http://KnowtheNetwork.com Keith

    I don't think it would have any effect on TWC. It's just prohibiting
    employees from distributing weather information through their personal
    accounts.

  • http://KnowtheNetwork.com Keith

    Curtis, Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

    I completely understand that the NWS hasn't officially committed to social media and there are more hurdles to overcome before that strategy can be developed. The NWS does a great job and the information is golden.

    Which brings me to my point of contention… in absence of an official presence and social media policy the NWS response is to completely silence their experts. I've got a big problem with that. When people were getting info about storms only from twitter then I think the NWS should be a part of that conversation. Formally or Informally.

    While I respect the governmental redtape that the NWS is subject to I must say I don't by the federal policy a bit. Barack Obama and half the federal gov is on twitter. If the NWS decided to make it a priority then it would have happened already.

    I'm completely baffled and a bit ruffled when I consider that the NWS is funded by my tax dollars.

    Again, I appreciate the NWS and your comment but its time to move this situation forward.

  • http://twitter.com/Bobby_Barrett Bobby Barrett

    Maybe I'm under-reacting here, but I honestly don't take issue with the NWS policy on social media – the policy prohibits employees from using their “personal” accounts to act in an official matter as an agent of the organization. ANY company with half a brain has a similar policy for non-repudiation purposes. Read that as “only conduct business with business accounts to ensure the validity of the individual you are dealing with”.

    I think that some people over-reacted to the policy and took information down that (as long as they weren't doing it on behalf of the service) was perfectly fine to leave up…but, that's water under the bridge now.

    Let's get down to brass tacks here – the big beef is that the governmental agency isn't “up to snuff” on cutting edge technologies; rather than rail against them and lambast them, perhaps we should assist them and encourage them on how to get there.

  • ChadGardner

    Bobby, I agree with your first paragraph. Regarding assisting them, that's what we're trying to do. The local meteorologists at the NWS want to use Twitter. In the past they have used it very effectively to inform people about weather events. Regrettably, the local mets with the “know-how” of using Twitter are not being allowed to do so. This has nothing to do with any of the regional weather offices because they've all been equally silenced. This was something that came down from NWS headquarters. So the local guys know exactly what to do and were doing it very, very well. The decision-makers up in Silver Spring, MD are the ones confused about how to pronounce Twitter. Since the local mets have been silenced, we have to take it up the chain-of-command for them and help spread the message.

  • http://twitter.com/HillReflects Calvin Hill

    How would this affect the Weather channel? Don't they continue to interview NWS employees?

  • http://KnowtheNetwork.com Keith

    I don't think it would have any effect on TWC. It's just prohibiting
    employees from distributing weather information through their personal
    accounts.

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