Your first notice of a major incident shouldn't come from a TikTok video notification, but today it frequently does. A bystander records thirty seconds of phone video, adds a dramatic caption, and hits publish before operational staff on the ground have even notified dispatch.
The uncomfortable reality for government communicators is simple. You no longer control the timeline.
In the past, major incidents came with a built-in grace period. You had time to gather facts, confirm details with operational leads, draft a public statement, and route it through three layers of management approval. By the time the media release landed in local newsrooms, your team had full control over the narrative structure.
That world is gone.<
