Tweeterati #3: The Tsunami of Tweets for Japan
In my third Mail Today Tweeterati column, I talk about how Twitter has played an important role during Japan’s worst crisis since World War 2:
When the mobile phone networks failed after the earthquake and the tsunami, the Japanese relied on Twitter to find information about missing friends and family members, and share their grief and disbelief. Now, they are using Twitter to coordinate relief efforts and share information about scarce resources. People from all over the world have turned to Twitter to share their prayers for Japan by using hashtags like #prayforjapan and adding Twibbons to their profile pictures. Finally, since it’s possible to express much more in 140 characters in Japanese than in English, Twitter has become the hub of discussions triggered by the crisis: about Japan’s crisis preparedness, the dignity of Japanese people under duress, the risk of nuclear power plant meltdown, and the economic impact of the crisis.
You can read the column on page 31 of the Sunday Mail Today:
Here is the unedited version of the column:
Tweeterati Unite to Pray, Hope, Donate for Japan
As Japan deals with its worst crisis since World War 2, Twitter has played a key role in distributing news, information and eye witness accounts during the Japan crisis, both within Japan and to the rest of the world.
When the mobile phone networks failed after the earthquake and the tsunami, the Japanese relied on Twitter to find information about missing friends and family members, and share their grief and disbelief. Now, they are using Twitter to coordinate relief efforts and share information about scarce resources. People from all over the world have turned to Twitter to share their prayers for Japan by using hashtags like #prayforjapan and adding Twibbons to their profile pictures. Finally, since it’s possible to express much more in 140 characters in Japanese than in English, Twitter has become the hub of discussions triggered by the crisis: about Japan’s crisis preparedness, the dignity of Japanese people under duress, the risk of nuclear power plant meltdown, and the economic impact of the crisis.
Twitter has been the leading news source of news about Japan all over the world. Roughly two-thirds of the news links on Twitter on Friday March 11 were about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, according to Pew Research, and the number of tweets increased to 117 million compared to a daily average of 37 million. The interest in news related to Japan has continued since then, and even within Japan, where the Japanese media’s coverage of the crisis is rather toned down compared to the foreign media, the Japanese are turning to Twitter to get an alternate perspective.
The authorities have also leveraged Twitter to share information with the public. The Japanese Prime Minister’s office is using @Kantei_Saigai in Japanese and @JPN_PMO in English to provide information on evacuation plans, safety information and press conferences. Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), which operates the Fukushima No.1 Nuclear Power Plant is also using @OfficialTEPCO in Japanese to provide information about radiation leaks and electricity blackouts. Even the United Nations has put together a list of Twitter users and hashtags to help people follow the Japan crisis. Twitter itself has created a special section on the Japanese mobile site (http://twtr.jp/earthquake) that provides tweets about the earthquake, special search results links and suggested account to follow.
Japanese government spokesperson Yukio Edano has emerged as an unlikely hero for tirelessly communicating with the public through night and day, and the hashtag “#edano_nero” (“Edano, get some sleep”) has reached trending topics. Japan’s military, called the Self-Defence Forces, has also been praised for its relief efforts, and the hashtag “#jietai_tabero (“SDF, eat something”) has become popular. However, prime minister Naoto Kan has been criticized for his slow response to the crisis, with hashtags like #kan_okiro and kan_netero urging him to “wake up” and “stay in bed”.
Several non-profits have increased their fundraising activities on Twitter, but the American Red Cross seems to have emerged as the beneficiary of choice on Twitter. The participants at the influential SXSW conference are raising money for the American Red Cross using the hashtag #sxswcares. Twitter itself is actively asking users to donate to the American Red Cross using the #hope4japan hashtag. Rocker Kate Perry and rapper P. Diddy are also encouraging their fans to donate to the American Red Cross. Other celebrities like Lady Gaga, Linkin Park, and Charlie Sheen are mobilizing their fans to buy branded bracelets, t-shirts or tour tickets and pledging donations to Japan.
However, it’s not always clear if the donations will be used in Japan itself and only $87 million has been raised for the Japan earthquake in the first week, compared to $127 million for the Asian tsunami, $275 million for the Haiti earthquake and $514 million for Hurricane Katrina, according to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Even American Red Cross, which has raised $64 million by itself, can’t say how it will use the funds.
It’s also sad to see that not all Japan-related conversations on Twitter have been positive. Attitudes about the crisis have ranged from bored and weary to insensitive and hateful. While most Americans were revolted by the suggestion that the earthquake was “God’s retribution” for Pearl Harbor, reactions on China’s Sina Weibo microblogging service have been mixed at best, and worries that the radiation will affect China seem to outweigh concerns for Japan. Several celebrities like Gilbert Gottfried and 50 Cent have tweeted insensitive jokes about Japan and Gottfried lost his deal with the insurance company Aflac as the voice of their bespoke duck. Microsoft has also attracted criticism for its ill-advised Twitter campaign in which it tried to promote Bing by donating $1 to Japan quake victims for every retweet, up to $100K.
As the Japan crisis continues into its second week, Twitter has become a mirror that shows us our best and worst selves. I am hoping that the Japanese people will choose to use Twitter as a tool for good, to tap into their collective spirit and come together in a mission to revitalize their great country.
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