tenerife council influencer emergency centre storm therese

Tenerife Council Defends Influencer’s Role in Storm Emergency

Tenerife Council Explains Influencer’s Emergency Centre Access

The Cabildo de Tenerife, the body responsible for emergencies on the island, believes that for disseminating verified information to the public, a traditional media outlet and a social media influencer are equally valid. This comes after an influencer operated freely last Friday within the island’s Emergency Operations Coordination Centre (Cecopin) during the emergency response to Storm Therese.

Exceptional Measures for Public Information

While acknowledging that the continuous presence of media or content creators in the emergency management room is not standard practice, the Cabildo made an exception. It stated that in exceptional situations and always under supervision, specific moments of access can be arranged to facilitate the spread of verified information to citizens. In this context, the council prioritises getting official messages to as many people as possible, using all available channels at any given time. This past Friday, it considered the best available channel at that moment to be the influencer known as Bolorino.

Strict Conditions and Absolute Priority

Nevertheless, the Cabildo assures that access to operational spaces like the Cecopin is limited, exceptional, and subject to strict conditions. The absolute priority is not to interfere with decision-making or the coordination of emergency teams. When any access is authorised, it is conducted under supervision, for the minimum necessary time, and while guaranteeing it does not interfere with the proper execution of the operation at any moment.

Reaching Non-Traditional Audiences

Generally, the usual channels of communication with the media remain press conferences and the designated press room. In the specific case of Bolorino, the Cabildo confirms he was permitted to broadcast for two hours and fifteen minutes from the operations room via Facebook under supervision. The goal was to reinforce the reach of official messages and connect with audiences who consume information through channels other than traditional ones. His presence was managed in a controlled manner at all times, without interfering with the operation’s functioning or decision-making, and with the sole objective of contributing to the dissemination of public service information.

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