Most of this practice is about the advantage of having known beforehand. Sometimes there is no beforehand. We take those engagements, we take them quickly, and we start before the paperwork does.
The first day decides most of what follows. Spending it deciding who to call is the expensive part.
Not what you have been told, or what someone forwarded. The full current picture across search, social, forums, press and the answer engines, captured and timestamped.
Origin, route and amplification. Who posted first, what carried it, and whether it is still spreading or has already peaked. These lead to completely different responses.
How much of this is organic, how much is a handful of accounts, and how much is visible to anyone who is not looking for it. Most things feel larger from inside.
Each with its consequence, including doing nothing — which is sometimes correct and almost never recommended by people paid to act.
Through the event, and the part most people stop paying attention to.