"In the middle of the response, as we were communicating safety and recovery information, other public officials and I were targeted. A mix of people were insinuating that we weren't doing our job. They were also spreading misinformation. As I reflect, what was really surprising to me at the time was getting attacked for my religion. I'm Jewish. There were a lot of people online who could say anything and everything without knowing me - very hurtful things."
"I remember my husband saying how upset he was. I think I had mentally tried to block out as much as I could because I felt empowered by continuing to do my job and communicating life-saving information. I remember him saying, 'How can you keep doing this?' The reality is, I was hired to do a job. In Judaism, they really do teach you to do what's best for people. It's a phrase called tikkun olam."
Jaclyn Rothenberg served as FEMA's director of public affairs during Hurricanes Helene and Milton in fall 2024, a period marked by widespread misinformation during the election cycle. Her role involved communicating safety and recovery information to connect people with services. During this time, she and other officials faced coordinated online attacks, including misinformation about their work and antisemitic harassment. The experience was emotionally challenging, with her family expressing concern about her safety. Despite these threats, Rothenberg continued her work, motivated by her commitment to the job and Jewish values emphasizing service to others. She now works in reputation management, counseling organizations on protecting leaders from similar threats.
#online-harassment-and-threats #fema-crisis-communication #misinformation-during-disasters #antisemitism-and-religious-attacks #leadership-resilience-and-reputation-management
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]