IABC Crisis Communications SIG: Signal or Noise? Social Media Triage In an Age of Trolls and Disruption

This session explores how crisis managers triage social media activity during high-stakes moments – protecting organizational credibility and avoiding responses that make the situation worse. Drawing on practitioner experience and global examples, we will examine practical frameworks and decision-making guardrails when emotions run high and digital communities are anything but neutral.

Focus question

• How can communicators effectively triage social media activity during a crisis – deciding what requires action, what should be monitored and what can be ignored – without escalating risk or undermining trust?

Additional questions (if time permits)

• How do trolls with AI-generated content and coordinated disinformation campaigns change the way organizations should assess “public sentiment” and manage reputational risks?
• When does engaging online help maintain credibility – and when does it legitimize bad-faith actors or fuel polarization?
• What guardrails, escalation thresholds and internal decision processes should be in place for teams managing social media during crises?