Spreading Panic On Social Media

Do social media sites like Twitter fuel panic during public emergencies like the swine flu outbreak? I don't see it myself; quite the contrary, I find Twitter to be a good source of pointers to information about breaking news of any kind. However, not everybody agrees with me, and it's a question we need to think about. The question is especially acute for government, because government needs to be a rock-solid source of reliable information and calm during a public emergency. (link)