The devastating floods that inundated Nepal and Tibet on August 26 were not just a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis. They triggered an information crisis too. As rescue workers sifted through mudslides and debris and families anxiously awaited news of loved ones, the combined effects of ruined communications infrastructure, limited access to affected areas, government foot-dragging, and online misinformation made it difficult, if not impossible, to know what was going on. In a humanitarian crisis, reliable journalism is not just another public good.
