Carrie Adams

1

• Carrie Adams
• Media and Community Relations Manager
• Outreach Division
• Mississippi Department of Transportation

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What is New Media ?

• Social networking web-based software such as
  Twitter and Facebook
• Instantaneous, tends to be informal, customized
  communication
• New tools that are effective in reaching a
  growing segment of the population

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MDOTs First Steps into New Media

• Twitter feeds ready to implement during hurricane
  evacuations
• No hurricanes in 2009 to date, so system not yet
  fully road-tested
• May use Twitter for future road construction
  advisories
• Evaluating Facebook

4
Purpose of this presentation

• To share why we pursued new media.
• To share our experience in implementing Twitter
  for emergency DOT communications.
• To share the context of new media along with
  traditional communications channels.

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Enhancing Emergency Communications

• Annual brainstorming meeting
• Goal is always to use as many
• media channels and methods as
• possible to reach as many people
• as possible
• MDOT is always looking for better ways to serve
  the people, and Twitter was identified as a way
  many of the younger generation were staying in
  touch with family and friends.

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How Twitter Works

• Twitter is a social networking and blogging
  service that enables its users to send and read
  other users
• updates, known as Tweets.
• Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140
  characters.
• Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter
  Web site, smart phone or text messages.

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Benefits of Twitter

• Will deliver information directly to evacuees.
• People can opt to receive only information
  relevant to their evacuation route.
• Will receive tweets instantaneously.
• Tweets can also be easily sent to evacuees from
  Louisiana and Alabama (who have signed up) who
  may be passing through or seeking refuge in
  Mississippi.

8
Refining and Approving Concept

• MDOT elected to work with one of its current
  consultants who had the requisite expertise and
  manpower.
• Consultant and Outreach Division presented idea
  to MDOT Executive Director and Emergency
  Coordinators.
• They immediately saw the value of this medium.
• Only concern was that we continue communications
  through traditional channels (Radio, TV, print
  etc.).

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Route-Specific Twitter Feeds

• Information delivered through Twitter will be
  instantaneous and customized to specific routes.
• Twitter feeds will provide information to
  evacuees for the following routes

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How to Access an MDOT Twitter Feed

• Type the relevant feed address into a Web
  browser.
• www.twitter.com/mdot_i10
• www.twitter.com/mdot_i20
• www.twitter.com/mdot_i55
• www.twitter.com/mdot_i59
• www.twitter.com/mdot_us49
• www.twitter.com/mdot_us98
• Users can sign up for automatic updates.

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Communication Flow
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Consultant?

• Not essential for all DOTs, but carefully
  evaluate your available manpower to post and
  respond to tweets during an emergencyalong
  with executing all other communications duties.
• Backup from other geographical locations in event
  of regional power outage.
• Expert software usera crisis is not the time to
  be learning new media protocols.

13
Publicizing Twitter Initiative

• Hurricane Blitzes on Coast
• News Releases
• Radio Spots
• Public Service Announcements
• Hurricane Guides (which included Twitter
  information) were distributed along the coastal
  area.
• MDOT Publications Newsletter/Connection
  magazine
• Newspaper articles
• Guest on WLOX-TV to discuss Twitter

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Future Applications of New Media

• MDOT is considering using Twitter for traffic
  updates and possible construction projects.
• We are looking into ways we can use Facebook to
  disseminate information about events and other
  projects.

15
Use the full toolbox!

• Twitter is just one tool, handy for some but
  foreign or inaccessible to others
• Must plan for all segments of the population.
• The most important factor is being able to keep
  information flowing while reaching as many people
  as you can.
• People without computers will definitely
  appreciate the traditional communication channels
  such as radio, TV and print. Our mission is to
  connect and reach everyone.

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MDOTs Communications Tools

• MDOT aims to establish communication through all
  channels continuously through
• Public Service Announcements
• TV ads
• Newspaper articles
• Printed publications
• Educational Outreach TRAC, RIDES, CARS
  programs in the schools

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Guiding Principles for Any Tool

• Focus on your audienceand the many sub-groups.
• Use tools they are comfortable with.
• Concentrate on your message, not the technology.
• Always look for new ways to reach more people.

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Questions?

• Does anyone here today have an experience they
  would like to share regarding new media?