SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

The rapid growth of social media technologies combined with their ease of use and pervasiveness make them attractive channels of communication. However, these tools also hold the possibility of a host of unintended consequences. Below are some general guidelines to help you identify and avoid potential issues and the implications of participation in social media.

GENERAL GUIDELINES
Maintain Privacy:

  • Do not post confidential or proprietary information. Do not discuss a situation involving named or pictured individuals on a social media site without their permission. As a guideline, do not post anything that you would not present in any public forum. Ask yourself, would I want to see this published in the newspaper or posted on a billboard tomorrow or ten years from now?

Does It Pass the Publicity Test:

  • If the content of your message would not be acceptable for face-to-face conversation, over the telephone, or in another medium, it will not be acceptable for a social networking site.

Think Before You Post:

  • There’s no such thing as a “private” social media site. Search engines can turn up posts and pictures years after the publication date. Comments can be forwarded or copied. Archival systems save information even if you delete a post. If you feel angry or passionate about a subject, it’s wise to delay posting until you are calm and clear-headed.

Understand Your Personal Responsibility:

  • You are personally responsible for the content you publish on blogs or any other form of user-generated content. Be mindful that what you publish will be public for a long time - protect your privacy.

Be Aware of Liability:

  • You are responsible for what you post on your own site and on the sites of others. Individual have been held liable for commentary deemed to be copyright infringement, defamatory, proprietary, libellous, or obscene (as defined by the courts). Be sure that what you post today will not come back to haunt you.

Be Accurate:

  • Make sure that you have all the facts before you post. It’s better to verify information with a source first than to have to post a correction or retraction later.

Correct Mistakes:

  • If you make a mistake, admit it. Be up front and be quick with your correction. If you’re posting to a blog, you may choose to modify an earlier post - just make it clear that you have done so.

Respect Others:

  • You are more likely to achieve your goals or sway others to your beliefs if you are constructive and respectful while discussing a bad experience or disagreeing with a concept or person.

Respect Your Audience:

  • Don’t use personal insults, obscenity, also show proper consideration for others’ privacy and for topics that may be considered sensitive. Users are free to discuss topics and disagree with one another, but be respectful of others’ opinions. You are more likely to achieve your goals if you are constructive and respectful while discussing a bad experience or disagreeing with a concept or person.

Take the High Ground:

  • Remember that you’re most likely to build a high-quality following if you discuss ideas and situations civilly. Don’t pick fights online.