Social Media A Growing Factor In Dissemination Of Information

Recent airline accidents and incidents such as the Southwest Airlines 737 that apparently landed nose-first at New York's LaGuardia airport in July are pointing out a growing friction between airlines, the FAA and the NTSB over how information is released to the media and the public.

The Wall Street Journal reports that social media are increasing the pressure for more rapid release of information, as passengers and sometimes airline executives post accounts of accidents and incidents. The NTSB has also been criticized for releasing partial or preliminary information as the initial stages of investigations are continuing.

The Southwest incident is a particularly good example, according to Timothy Logan, that airline's senior risk-management official. He said that prior to the NTSB's completion of the initial on-site investigation, several offices in the FAA were requesting some of the same information from the airline. In many cases, Logan said airlines are barred from releasing information from things like cockpit voice recorders to the FAA, which is unable to legally use such information in enforcement actions.

The NTSB said social media like Twitter are being increasingly used by journalists because it allows them to better meet deadlines. In a statement, the board said social media is a "valuable tool" for informing the media and the general public about investigations.

Southwest senior accident investigator Dennis Post said at a safety conference in Vancouver, B.C. that social media and videos posted by passengers have "drastically altered" the way the airline conducts initial investigations. He called the passengers the "first investigators" who are willing and even eager to share such information.

But Logan said that the cacophony of Tweets and videos could be more confusing to the public than enlightening, and could lead to public relations problems during significant events.

(Image from YouTube video)

FMI: www.faa.gov. www.ntsb.gov