Social media exploded this past week with the news of the new TSA rules. Everything you needed to know about how the public felt could be found on Twitter, Facebook and several blogs. In short: we want to be secure, not be fed the appearance of security. I loved watching the reactions in real time. And when there’s a big breaking story, you need to be monitoring public reaction via the Social Web.
On Twitter, simply search #tsa or #security theater. Here’s a sampling:
mymelange: why the rules from #TSA if they are not being enforced? Makes no sense. #TSA needs an overhaul.why the rules from #TSA if they are not being enforced? Makes no sense. #TSA needs an overhaul.
concussion 962: Dear TSA: Do not up the security measures in airports. Your “security” actions do nothing except demoralize travelers.
Until we are willing to discuss “acceptable risk” like adults, #securitytheater will continue because it is visible if ineffective.
I looked and looked for Tweets in favor of the new regulations but couldn’t find one. Over at the TSA blog, the sentiment was much the same. There were, however, some supporters:
what_ever said: TSA did NOT do the screening on this passenger – the flight was coming INTO the US from Amsterdam. I would hope that most people would be more understanding now of why TSA does what they do instead of finding yet more reasons to bash them.
anonymous said: Think about it, folks. The bad guys aren’t going to come out a declare they are bad guys. That’s why there are security measures. Clearly, the only thing that would satisfy some of you is if we had no security at all. You gripe about TSA but come up with no solutions.
Yet most of the post were more along the lines of:
BeckyJ: Everybody needs to write to their Congressional rep and Senators. Congress has oversight of all Federal bureaucracies. Tell them to force TSA to back off of these silly, useless restrictions.
I salute the TSA for having a blog which, at times, is moderately helpful. But in the case of the recent attempted attack, it has been nearly non-responsive. In fact, the only response from a TSA blogger has been very defensive.
On the Sunday Talk Shows, the government officials were on their usual talking points. When challenged, they stuck by those points, with Homeland Security Chief Janet Napolitano famously saying “the system worked.” On my Facebook page, I complained about this, to which a fellow journalist asked:
Serious question. If you only have 10 minutes to do a satellite remote interview with a federal official, what do you ask — especially if the official is trained to eat up minutes of air time per answer? It’s the never-ending debate here in DC — and the officials DO control how much time they’ll give you for an interview.
My answer:
Serious answer: you can’t ask them a thing on TV that they will answer of any value. Instead, we have to do more work like the Atlantic and expose the security theater for what it is. Hammer home the idea that these systems DO NOT WORK, and only punish those who play by the rules. With research and investigative work in hand, only then can we go to the officials. Their pet answers are only intended to ensure their own jobs.
Whether you come down on the side of the TSA’s new regulations or not is besides the point. What we’re seeing is a shift. People have a voice, and one that can be heard in real time. Two days after announcing the draconian restrictions, the TSA backed down (at least a little), saying it was giving pilots some discretion in enforcing the rules.
Do we know for sure that the social media outcry played a role? No. But, as journalists, it sure gives us a feel for the room. Our goal has always been to figure out what interests the people and investigate. With social media, we have a powerful tool that tells us.