Social media post comes with heavy cost

A post on social media this week has resulted in a major loss of revenue for a major tourism operator, cultural groups, handcraft sellers and service providers in Madang.
The ship Pacific Aria arrived in the Madang harbour on Wednesday morning but left without anyone disembarking after a false alarm over a purported outbreak of anthrax in town forced the captain to leave.
On board the vessel were 1500 tourists who the locals had been preparing to welcome in the traditional way, and the opportunity to sell to them souvenirs such as handicraft.
The cancellation of the visit has undoubtedly left many disappointed, none more so than Sir Peter Barter, the managing director of the Melanesian Tourist Services which has for years successfully catered for tourists arriving by cruise ships.
Sir Peter, who estimates his loss to be around K100,000, says the damage to Madang and the possible flow-on effects to other tourist vessels have created an enormous challenge for the tourism industry.
That is disappointing and hurtful.
What started it all was the isolated case of a sick child who was somehow linked to a supposed anthrax outbreak in Madang.
That false alarm posted on social media by someone eventually reached the ship’s captain who turned the ship around and left for Wewak.
This is another example of reckless social media posting which are based on unverified information and speculation.
There was in fact an outbreak of anthrax on Karkar Island last month which was brought under control, according to the National Agriculture Quarantine Inspection Authority.
And the type of anthrax reported on the island affected only pigs and not humans.
Anthrax, according to medical information, is spread by contact with the spores of the bacteria which are often from infectious animal products. Contact is by breathing, eating, or through an area of broken skin.
It does not typically spread directly between people.
Whether it was a careless reporting or a prank intended to scare people, it has caused a lot of damage, financial loss and heartache.
Madang, once a great tourist destination, has lost its spark in recent years because public infrastructure is falling apart and crime is rising.
The town’s roads especially have been allowed to deteriorate and while the Government has made commitments to maintain them, work has yet to start.
Businesses such as Sir Peter’s Melanesian Tourist Services, residents and leaders have been working hard to restore the image of the town and province.
A lot of money and effort have been put into restoring the Madang’s image and reputation as top tourist destination. It can become quite frustrating if those efforts are negated by negative public information created by the media, especially social media.
What happened in Madang this week should be a warning to all social media users to be a lot more responsible and careful about posting such unsubstantiated information.
While it is a convenient avenue to exchange information rapidly, social media can also cause irreparable damage too.
Maybe, in usual PNG fashion, the social media post this week will be forgotten soon, and those responsible may not made to pay for the loss suffered by Madang residents and small business people.
But we all should learn from the costly and painful lesson.