Online Media Responds to Tokyo Earthquake
March 11, 2011 by Traci McMurray
As soon as the Tokyo earthquake hit, like other recent natural disasters, social media provided a means of quick communication. Twitter and Facebook were aflutter with messages spreading the news across the globe, and spreading word of incoming tsunamis, leading Twitter to become slow moving, and eventually to crash. Top trends on the microblogging site included #tsunami, #japan and #prayforjapan.
Shortly after the disaster struck, Google's homepage listed the tsunami alert, and soon set up a Crisis Response Center and a People Finder tool in multiple languages.
Other online resources for following the happenings in Tokyo and Hawaii in real time can be found in a thorough list from the Poynter Institute, and many videos from the earthquake have been posted to YouTube's CitizenTube channel.
If you'd like to donate to relief efforts in Japan you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to send $10 to the Red Cross relief efforts, or text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate $10 to Convoy of Hope's disaster response efforts.
