Crisis Communications SIG: Signal or noise? Social media triage in an age of trolls and disruption

Crisis Communications SIG: Signal or noise? Social media triage in an age of trolls and disruption
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 | 5:00 p.m. Eastern | 4:00 p.m. CT

This session explores how crisis managers triage social media activity during high-stakes moments – protecting organizational credibility and avoiding responses that make the situation worse. Drawing on practitioner experience and global examples, we will examine practical frameworks and decision-making guardrails when emotions run high and digital communities are anything but neutral.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Matt Tidwell as our guest speaker. A seasoned consultant and educator, Matt has held senior roles at Fortune 500 companies, worked with agencies and conducted academic research in crisis communication. He is currently teaching the next generation of leaders as a program director for professional graduate studies at the University of Kansas. Matt also served on the International Executive Board of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), helping raise global communication standards for a network of several thousand professionals.

We are also pleased to have Dianne Chase, executive, crisis and cybersecurity communication expert, co-moderate the session. Founder and CEO of Chase Media and Communication, Dianne is a former award-winning broadcast journalist, news director and anchor. She also served as Global Chair of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Dianne recently published a book called The 7 C's of The New Communication Compass: Insights, Inspiration, and Strategies for Navigating Future Forward Success, a practical guide to communicating with clarity when complexity and stakes are high.

Focus question

• How can communicators effectively triage social media activity during a crisis – deciding what requires action, what should be monitored and what can be ignored – without escalating risk or undermining trust?

Additional questions (if time permits)

• How do trolls with AI-generated content and coordinated disinformation campaigns change the way organizations should assess “public sentiment” and manage reputational risks?
• When does engaging online help maintain credibility – and when does it legitimize bad-faith actors or fuel polarization?
• What guardrails, escalation thresholds and internal decision processes should be in place for teams managing social media during crises?