Police services across Canada are grappling with how they will relay emergency information, including breaking news and details of missing persons, once Meta begins permanently removing news from its social media platforms.
Meta is set to remove all news for Canadian users in response to the Liberal government91裸聊视频檚 Online News Act, which requires some tech giants to pay for news content shared or repurposed on their platforms.
When that happens, police forces won91裸聊视频檛 be able to count on links from local news outlets popping up in people91裸聊视频檚 Facebook and Instagram feeds as they scroll, though they will still be able to post their own news releases and other messages.
The Saskatchewan RCMP said Meta91裸聊视频檚 decision will affect the way they get information to the public and they are currently working through ways they can maximize the distribution of public safety messages.
In Manitoba, the RCMP said they will rely heavily on their own social media accounts to get important information out to the public.
91裸聊视频淎t the detachment level, in rural Manitoba, our social media has good reach and is immediate and we continue to rely on that for our messaging,91裸聊视频� said Tara Seel, a spokeswoman for the Manitoba RCMP.
A spokesperson for the RCMP91裸聊视频檚 national headquarters said Mounties will also rely on alert systems, news releases and press conferences, while continuing to review new social media platforms that could help with communication.
But it is not entirely clear how Meta91裸聊视频檚 news ban will affect the way police communicate. Kelly Dehn, director of public affairs for the Winnipeg Police Service, put it bluntly: 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e not sure what impact it will have.91裸聊视频�
When it comes to communicating about public safety, the more eyeballs the better, including through traditional media, Dehn said.
Seel said once the implications become more clear, Manitoba RCMP will adapt.
Police services and other institutions are used to changing the way they communicate with the public because Canadians91裸聊视频� relationships with traditional media have changed in recent years, said Richard Lachman, an associate professor of media production at Toronto Metropolitan University.
91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 all watch television, read newspapers, listen to the radio in the same way,91裸聊视频� he said.
Dehn agreed, saying police can no longer wait for the 6 p.m. news or news sites to post an article, so they often look for other ways to get information out to the public quickly.
91裸聊视频淧eople are viewing and consuming news on their phones more than ever. So it91裸聊视频檚 important for us to get the message to them directly,91裸聊视频� she said.
The issue was on the minds of the Winnipeg police board long before Meta said it would remove news links.
The board conducts a citizen survey every two years, asking people how they find policing stories.
In its 2022 survey it found the majority of people recalled Winnipeg police news from press releases and press conferences. Another 35 per cent said they recalled seeing police news on their Facebook page, and 12 per cent cited Instagram.
The survey also found about 12 per cent got their police news solely from Facebook. The survey doesn91裸聊视频檛 clarify whether that was through traditional news stories posted to Facebook or through the police service91裸聊视频檚 own Facebook page, which has over 119,000 followers, but Dehn suspects it91裸聊视频檚 a mix of both.
Lachman said police and other institutions need to go where the people are, and Facebook has always had an outsized influence in Canada.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e actually been strong consumers of Facebook over other platforms. That91裸聊视频檚 changed a lot with generational shifts to things like TikTok,91裸聊视频� Lachman said.
91裸聊视频淧eople are gonna have to shift in our understanding of what the value of media we consume is. We91裸聊视频檙e going to have to go and try and pull this content directly.91裸聊视频�
In the meantime, finding and relaying information will become a game of cat and mouse, Lachman said.
91裸聊视频淎n organization might say we91裸聊视频檒l need to get this message out. We91裸聊视频檙e trying it through this path. 91裸聊视频楧id that work for you? Did that work for me?91裸聊视频� It91裸聊视频檚 not healthy,91裸聊视频� he said.
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