Moncton manhunt: The pros and cons of social media

CTV Atlantic: Pros and cons of social media The Moncton manhunt played out on social media to a degree never before seen in this country.

The manhunt in Moncton is playing out on social media sites to a degree never before seen in Canada.

Within minutes of the first shots being fired, the first online posts began, with hashtags like #prayformoncton trending overnight and throughout the day.

"From a social media perspective, it's the first time we've seen an event on this scale in Canada and how social media has played a critical role for the good and the bad,” says social media analyst Giles Crouch.

Crouch says one of the positive aspects of social media is how organizations like the RCMP and hospitals are able to deliver accurate, up-to-date information to people during emergencies.

"So they know whether to get out of the area, or they're locking themselves down. So that's really good of emergency services to communicate it to them so quickly,” says Crouch.

Before social media and the advent of smartphones, the number of civilians at risk could have been higher, as it was much more difficult to relay information.

“The only place you could get it was radio, television and print, all of them with delay factors, and the person had to be at a certain location to get the content,” says Crouch.

But, while there are many advantages to sharing information on social media, Crouch says there are many disadvantages too.

Around 11 p.m. Wednesday,  multiple sources falsely reported that the shooter was dead, potentially giving residents that were hiding and locked down a false sense of security.

“It's interesting, that seemed to come out shortly after a video where people were in their living room and shots were fired and we can hear the reaction of the person,” says Crouch.

Crouch says that dangerous piece of misinformation shows how a situation like the shooting in Moncton can bring out the worst in people.

“It's inaccurate information, but they maybe want some notoriety from that and they perhaps get a kick out of it,” says Crouch.

While social media aided the RCMP in getting information out to residents, it was a hindrance to the manhunt, as some users were tweeting the location of officers and first responders, possibly giving the shooter lethal information.

“I suspect this individual definitely understands social media because of the statements he's made on his Facebook page. He's probably fairly sophisticated, carrying a mobile phone with him, when he sees those tweets he knows where the police are,” says Crouch.

Over the course of the manhunt, RCMP have pleaded with the public to stop posting about the movement of the Mounties involved in the search.

“By not putting on social media the location of our officers and speculating on the police operation, it helps keep everybody safe,” says Commanding Officer Roger Brown.

With all the good and bad that comes with the use of social media, Crouch says there is one underlying truth.

“After ten years of social media, we still haven't wrapped our heads around how to use these tools.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Jayson Baxter