Social Media Policy

Social Media Policy

Purpose

The City of Trail's social media policy establishes and outlines the principles of use for the City's Communications and Events Coordinator (CEC) when engaging and posting on the City's social media accounts. 

Policy

The City uses online social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube) and website to communicate City initiatives, goals and objectives with the community and various stakeholder groups. 

The goals of the City's social media accounts are to inform the community of City happenings and events and provide additional platforms for direct engagement.  The City's social media accounts are not intended to be used for political forums or information outside the City's intent. 

Primary Goals

• Increase awareness of municipal services and events such as public notices, upcoming Capital Projects, City sponsored events, and other Greater Trail Area events.
• Disseminate time-sensitive information quickly.
• Provide additional means to gather community comments and perceptions regarding the City and its initiatives.
• Develop trust and opportunities to build stronger relationships  with community members.
• Correct misinformation, remedy mistakes, or alter services.
• Utilize social media as an additional way to collaborate with the public and other municipalities on mutually beneficial programs and initiatives.

Scope

• This policy applies to social media use for official and authorized City purposes.

• This policy shall apply to all City employees and others who have been authorized by the City's social media administrator to post information on corporate social media sites in an official capacity on behalf of the City. It does not apply to personal use of social media conducted on personal equipment.

• Social media profiles and websites representing the Mayor and Members of City Council are exempt from this policy, as are sites representing individuals and Committees of Council that do not fall under City employee mandate or this policy.

• Social media profiles and websites representing Members of Council will not act as official information media platforms on behalf of the City of Trail. Any information to be communicated to the City's followers via social media will be provided by the City's social media administrator.

• City Council acknowledges that it is not their role to report directly on City related business and will use their social media profiles and websites as a secondary information source once matters have been officially released by the City. Council will used the designated sharing tools on the various social media platforms based on this direction. Council will include an "in my opinion" disclaimer either within the banner of their individual social media site(s) or separately when making follow up posts to the City's social media postings and when creating original posts pertaining to City related business.

Responsibility

The posting of content and engagement on behalf of the City will be the responsibility of the City's CEC. All other employees must have permission by the CEC prior to posting.

The City will authorize specific individuals to utilize social media in an official capacity to ensure that, as with all communications activities, communications through social media channels are accurate, consistent and professional.

When representing the City on social media, employees are expected to communicate in a respectful and professional manner and in accordance with all City policies. Employees are not permitted to discuss personal or confidential information on social media sites, whether through public posts or private messages. Non-compliance by City employees may result in discipline.

Guiding Principles of Appropriate Use

The City's social media followers and engagers must abide by the following principles of appropriate use or may be subject to removal. The City of Trail reserves the right to remove posted online content, comments or links which contain any of the following from the City's social networking sites:

• Comments not relevant to the particular posting by the City's social media administrator; 
• Slanderous or derogatory remarks, obscenities, profane language or sexual content;
• Content that endorses, promotes, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, colour, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation;
• Promotion of commercial services or products other than sponsors, affiliations, or business partnerships.
• Promotion of political candidates;
• Promotion of illegal activity;
• Spam or irrelevant external links;
• Information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;
• Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party.

Records

All City of Trail social networking sites shall adhere to applicable Provincial, Federal and local laws, regulations and policies including all Information Technology and Records Management policies and other applicable City of Trail's policies. 

The Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act applies to social media content and therefore content must be able to be managed, stored and retrieved to comply with the Act.