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BLUF
To avoid developing civil unrest, be aware of changes to laws governing firearms/self-defense, and maintain readiness for navigational challenges (road closures, crashes, etc). Follow multiple mediums and establish contacts to ensure you’re receiving real-time information on local events and developments.
Where to Get Information
Local News
Local news outlets will often report on civil unrest, mass shootings, or crashes as it happens. This can be a good way to get up-to-date information on what is happening in your community.
Social Media
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook can be a good source of information about new developments. People often use these platforms to share news and updates about what is happening in their community. Follow local news outlets, conflict and on-scene journalists, as well as community groups/pages (scanners, HOAs, fire department, “What’s Happening”, etc.).
Government Websites
Government websites often have information about civil unrest, mass casualty events, travel advisories, etc. The Department of Homeland Security’s website or Department of State offer delayed notices, bulletins, and advisories. This can be a good source of information about the government’s response to major events. Local government websites may have more current press releases especially the smaller down the chain you go, such as a city’s website or police department website (their social accounts will be even more current).
News Aggregators
News aggregators like Google News, Feedly, Flipboard, Ground News, Yahoo, and Reddit (Reddit can be one of the most fine tuned resources out there) can be a good way to get a variety of news sources from different places. This can be a good way to get a well-rounded view of the news about national, state, or category-specific developments.
Citizen Journalism Websites
Citizen journalism websites are websites that are run by ordinary people who are reporting on events in their community. These websites can be a great way to get a firsthand account of what is happening in your area. Most have their own social handles which should be followed for free and real-time data.
Independent News Websites
Independent news websites are websites that are not affiliated with any major news organization. These websites can be a good source of reporting that openly attempts to be either very biased or unbiased but as with all sources, back-check it to ensure you’re not being fed misinformation.
Alert Systems
Some cities and towns have alert systems that can send you notifications about civil unrest. You can sign up for these alerts on your local government’s website or through a mobile app. There are many services used by local governances; checking their website is the best way to sign up. There are also paid alert aggregators in the app store allowing you to get push notifications.
Assets/Contacts
Develop a network of relationships with persons who have connections to other sources of information. This could be a local cop, a secretary at the mayor’s office, an ER nurse, a local representative, pastor, soldier at the Provost Marshall’s office, or members of a neighborhood watch group.
Get emails and phone numbers, maintain the relationship by playing monthly pickleball pickup games, dropping off donuts at their work, wishing them happy birthday on Facebook, meeting up for coffee, etc. Then when you get word of an event occurring, you can reach out for intel, or better yet, they’ll alert you when something is going on.
Intel and Curated Services
There are countless paid services that offer topical coverage ranging from weather related news, to conflicts/war, to political corruption. Most offer a range of categorical news with analysis on the topic. There are a few that provide regional and local updates and assessments.
The Grayman Briefing is an example of this type of source. Most offer delivery of their premium via email or paywalled web page. Some have their own dedicated app. The Grayman Briefing uses a combination of email and usage of pre-established and popular secure messaging apps (Telegram/Signal) for their delivery.
Debrief
Quality of Sources
It is important to note that not all sources of information are reliable. Some sources may be biased or inaccurate. It is important to be critical of the information that you consume and to verify information from multiple sources before you make any decisions. If basic situational awareness is all you need, and if your goal is to become alerted to an event so that you can react or further research, then it’s acceptable to follow, subscribe, or sign-up for mediums that are obviously biased.
Sometimes biased sources will be more current on developments – they may misframe the intent of a group of protestors or take a new law out of context, but ultimately they’ve alerted you to the presence of a protest you didn’t know was unfolding or notified you of a new “gun control” bill that just passed that you didn’t even know was being considered.
Stay alert and ahead of events and developments so that you can prepare, avoid danger, or react more quickly.
This article was originally written by the Grayman Briefing. Stay in the know. Sign up for Intel and Situational Awareness alerts pushed to your phone on emerging threats and preparedness warnings. Click HERE to subscribe to the Grayman Briefing.
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