Civil defense praised for prompt media repsonse

Manama: The Twitter account of the Saudi Civil Defense has been largely hailed for its steady flow of information and timely updates as the dramatic events related to the collapse of the crane unfolded.

“This is the first time – as far as I know - that a government institution has succeeded in media managing a crisis through its Twitter account,” Fahad Al Arabi Al Harithi, a former member of the Shura Council and the head of the Asbar Centre for Studies, Research and Communications, said.

“The account deserves to be lauded for providing details and updating information. During critical times, especially crises, people are hungry for the information, and details are not conveyed on time, rumours spread and fill in the vacuum,” he said.

The microblog account was used by the media to obtain the latest figures and feed them to users. The account also posted brief statements by some officials regarding the tragedy that struck in the early evening on Friday, Saudi news site Sabq reported on Saturday.

“We applaud the people who made the account such a dependable source of information for they conveyed the details as they became available and it was a reference for all,” Mohammad Al Shaqa, a media figure, said.