City of Uniontown Social Media Policy  1. Overview 1.1 Purpose  The City of Uniontown Social Media. Policy (Social Media Policy): establishes guidelines For the creation, management, and usè ofs social media sites reprèsenting the City: of Uniontown (City) as ar means of communicating Cityi information: to citizens, visitors; The purpose of City social media sites is to provide information from the City and its associated departments to the publiç common information channels. The City has a right and responsibility to ensure that the information distributed through social media on its! behalfi is accurate. and sèrves thè publicinterest,  And other entities.  1:2 Definitions this section:  For the purpose oft the! Social Media Policy, the following terms have the definitions' given in 1.2.1 Social Media: Social media is content created byi individuals using the accessible and scalable technologies through thé Internêt. Examples ofs social media includé but aré not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Linkedin, RSS, YouTube, and In- stagram. For purposes oft the Social. Media Policy; Social Media also includes message boards, internet forums, and comment. sections on, posted articies. 1.2.2 City Employees:. Any person who. isa a Citya administrative official; whoj is employed by the City; or who isa a member ofa City board, commission, or agency, 1.2.3. City Social Media Administrator or Administrator: An authorized City Official or Em- ployee responsible for administering user access and management of City social me- dia accounts, as:provided ini this Policy. The administrator sérves as thei top manager for social media sites. They manage all settings and can serve asmoderator, 1.2.4 City Moderator: An authorized City official or employee who creates ori is responsi- ble fori the daily operation of social media sites." The moderator posts regular arti- cles, messages, ori information on: social media sites: The City! Moderator- may review, authorize, remove, and/or deny submissions by Commenters. forj post- ing toa a City Social Media Account in accordance with terms of the! Social Media  Policy,  1.2:5 Article: An original posting of content to à City Sociall Media Account by a City Moderâtor of City Employee authorized to post priginal çontent. 1.2.6 Commenter: Ary person who submits a comment for posting in response to the  çontent, on a City Media Account.  1    1.2.7 Comment: A response to an. Article submitted. by a Commenter.  1.2.8 City Social Media Account: An account on Social, Media (example: Facebook page; Instagram account, Twitter account, etc.) that represents the City or distributes content or information on behalf of the City, its officials, departments, boards, commissions, or agencies. A page maintained by a member of City Council for purposes of posting or discussing matters related to business ofthe City shall not be a City Social Media Account under this Policy, but such a page remains ai limited public forum and the Council Member. maintaining the page may not discriminate with respect to the viewpaint ofspeakers or content ofs speech on such a page in accordance with àpplicable laws and decisions governing limited publici forums,  2. Genéral Policy 2.1 Emergencies  The use of social media does' not alter or change the emergençy or life safety report protocols currently in plaçe.. Social Media should not be uséd inj placé oft the Fayette County Emergency Management Agency (FCEMA911) or other official emergency  services agency or protoçol designed- by the City.  2.2 City Soçial Media Regulations  2.2.1 Approval and administration: City Employees may only créatè or post Articles on City Social. Media. Accounts with prior approyal of the City Clerk or Director of Plan- ning and Community Relations. Other Comments by City Employees on City Social Media is governed by this Policy. The Director of Planning and Community Relations will maintain: a, list of all authorized City Social Media Accourits will designate a(n) Administrator(s), fore each account or, in the absence of such designation, shall serve ast the Administrator: for any account. Thé Administrator(s) will regularly monitor the Social Media Account to ensure. adherence to the City's Social Media Policy and the interestand: goals oft thé City of Uniontown in compliance with appliçable lawsand policies. Each. Administrator shall have demonstrated. a complete understânding of this Social Média Policyand must havé subject matter and technical experience eap-  propriatei toi the Administrator role.  2.2.2 Maintenance and contact notice: City Social Media Accounts will affirmatively: state they are created and maintained byt the City. Each. Social Media Account will display appropriate. contact information for the City considering! its purpose andi thé terms  oft the social media provider.  2,2:3 Public Notice and Standards: Whèn possible,; City Social Media Accounts will link to City website(s) with forms, documents, online services, and other information rele-  vant to the Cityl business. of that account.  2.2.4 Conduct: City. Employees posting Articles or Comments to Social Media Accounts must remain' subject to the. City's Empioyee Handbook and: should carefully review this Policy's Section 3. Social Media Standards and 4. Employéé Guidance for Partici-  pating in Social Media.  2    2.2.5 City Rights: City Social. Media Acçounts create limited public forums that are subject to reasonable. regulations. The City may restrict or remove: from its Social Media Sites any content posted in violation oft this Social Media Poliçy or applicable law. Restrictions or removal ofcontent will respéct the City's obligation hot to discrimi- nate against particular viewpoints or speakers and will apply néutrally to establish appropriate restrictions on. the time, place, and manner of speech to promote the publici interest in accurate, meaningful, and. frée expression of information related to City business. Material that may be removed in accordance with this Policyi in- cludes, but is not limited to: posts that defame ori harass others, posts that are not germane to the public topic under discussion, posts that contain inaccurate or mis-  leading information.  2.2.6 Applicable law and policies: This Policy and City Social Media Accounts will comply with governing federal, state, and local laws and regulations. No provisionofthis  Policy will be read to viplate a governing law or regulàtion.  2.2.7 Publicn record and disclosure: Any content posted on City Social Media. Acçounts may be considered a public record. subject to public disclosure. This mayi include subscriber! information, posted content, and content submitted for posting. 2.2.8 Policy Violation: Employees who violate this Policy may be subject: to disciplinary 2.2.9 Prohibited content: Citys social media content: ànd comments containing any oft the  action, up to arid including termination of employment. following forms of content shall, not be allowed. for posting:  2.9.1 Comments not topically. related: tot the particular site or social media article  being commented upon; 2.9,2 Profane language or content;  2.9.3 Content that promotès, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basisof race, creed, color, age, religion, sex; gender, martial, status, status: with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual Orientation, oro otherwise in violation ofa any City.r rondscimnatonordnane, resolution, rule,  orr regulation;  2.9.4 Sexual contént or links to sexual content;  2.9.5 Solicitations for commercial purposes, except, when made as part ofar permit- ted partnership or agreement with the City, and provided that this limitation shall not opèrate to preclude legitimate requests fori information by the public regarding  providers of commercial services;  2.9.6 Conduct or encouragement ofi illégal activity;  3    2.9.7 Information that mayt tend to compromise the safety or security oft the public 2.9.8. Content that violatesal legal ownership interest ofa any other party. 2.2.10 This Social Media Policy may be revised at: any time.  orp pubfic, systems; or  3. Social Media. Standards 3.1 Content  3.1.1 Comments submitted by members of the public must be directly related tot the content ofthe articles, Submission of the comments by mêmbers of the public con- stitutes participation in a limited public forumi, City social media moderators shall allow comments that are topically. related to the article being commented and. thus within thé purpose oft the limited public forum, with the éxception of the prohibited  content listed in section 2.2.9 Prohibited content. above.  3.1.2 All entities affiliated with the City of Uniontown are responsible for establishing, publishing, and: updating their content on social media sites. Although it will be each entitySresponsbilty, to maintain the content, an authorized City Official: or Em- ployee may monitor, alter, remove the content on each oft these. pages tos sure: 3.1.2.1 A consistent citywide message is being conveyed and adherence tot the City  Social Media, Policy.  3.1.2.2 That contént based on best practices and industry norms.  3.1.2.3 That posts, articles, and. comments- do not violate this policy or other law;  3.2 City Moderator: and Commenter Identification  3.2.1 All City social media Moderators and public commenters participating in City social media shall) be ciearly identified. Posts by any person whoi is noti identified ori is using an alias or otherwise not identifiable as ani individual person may be removed.  3.3 The Role of City Moderator  3.3.1 Social media can be used by the City to canvass the views oft the community and stakeholders. These processes maya attract comments that are offensive, inappropri- 3.3.2 All City social media accounts should have the Section 3.4 Ethical Social Media Com- menter Conduct policy referenced or madé available through the social. media ac- count being used, along with a notice that the City Moderator may remove or reject any posts either pre- or post-publication that does not comply with the section 3.4 Ethical Social Media Commenter Conduct policy or 2.2.9 Prohibited content section.  ate, or irrelevant and that require some form of moderation.  4    3.3.3 The City Moderator should post new comments to çorrect commenter's factual er- rors, ort to clarifyi inaccurate! information when possible. The Citya andi its Moderators understand that this does not guarantee thez accuracy of posts; articies, or com-  ments on City social media.  3.3.4 Moderators will abide byt the following guidelines:  3.3.4.1 The moderation procèss must be. objective and impartial and àvoid any per- ception that posts are being censored for politiçal reasons; 3.3.4.2 The moderation process must be sensitive to the diversity. of the publiçand avoid àny perception thatiti is being applied in a discriminatory manner; and  3.3.4.3 The moderator must inform. commenters as to why aj post has beenre-. moved or rejected and give them an opportunity to résubmit an edited ver-  sion.  3.3.5 Administrators may use the City Moderator guidelines, set forth int this policy.  3.4 Ethical Social Media Commenter Conduct 3.4.1 Mutual commenter respect is paramount.  3.4.2. Commenters. should use every effort to. kept interactions factual and accurate. 3.4.3 Commenters. should strive for transparency and openness ini interactions. 3.4,4 Commenters should provide. links to credible sources of information1 to support in- 3.4.5 Commenters should publicly correct any information communicated that is later 3.4.6 Commentèrs should protect their personal privacy and that of others by not includ- ing pèrsonal, information (suçh as email addresses, privateaddresses, or phone  teractions, when possible, found out to bei inerror.  numbers)  3.4.7 Commenters should not be abusive, nor harass or threaten anyone. 3.4.8 Commenters should not make: defamatory or libelous comments: 3.4:9 Commenters should not use insulting, provocative, or hâteful language. 3.4.10 Commenters should respect the rules oft the social media site. 3.4.11 Commenters. shail abide by the section on. 2.2.9 Prohibited content..  5    4. Employee Guidance for Participating in Social Média  4.1 Proféssional standards  4.1.1 This Social Media Policy shall supplement and bei in addition to1 the E-mail, internet and Electronic Communications and Social Media. Policyi in the City'sEmployee  Handbook (beginning on page 109).  4.1,2 The lines between publicand private, official, personal and professional employee roles in. social media are: somewhat blurred., Byi identifying yourself asa City of Un- iontown émployee or representative, you are créating pérceptions: about your ex- pertise and about the City by stakeholders, customers, business parthers, and. the  general public..  4.1.3. Each City Employee should take into consideration the reflection ofthe City's social media postings oni the city government: and public, and should. seek. to ensure that all content associated with you is consistent with your work and withi the City's svai-  ues and professional. standards.  4.1.4 This policy shall not be used to. limit the free speech rights ofe employees comment- ing on matters of public concerns, solely int their personal capacities, and not acting or purporting to act on behalf oft the City. This policy also shall not operate to pro- hibit employees from discussing the conditions oft their employment in violation of  the federal Fair Labor Standards. Act or other applicable law..  4.2 Employee Social Media Usé Guidelines:  An employee who. identifies on as social media account the employee's affiliation with the City, and does not disclaim speaking on behalf oft the Cityi ini the social media profile ori ina specific post, will be deemed to be using social media as a City employee. Employées who choose to participate in social media as a City employee must adhere to the following guide- 4.2.1 City policies, rules, regulations, and: standards of conduct apply to employeès who engagé ins sociai media activities" while conducting City business. Use ofyour City e- mail address and. communicating iny your official capacity will constitute conducting  lines:  City business.  4.2.2 Boards of Commission shall obtain prior of thè City Official, Employee, or designee, Isg granted continuing administrator privileges to the acçount and shall designatéat least one Moderator, in addition to the City Official or Employee, to moderate the  çontent of the account.  4.2.3 Boards and Commission with media. sites shall grant çontinuing administrative access, to the City Official or Employee. Passwords and other account information mayi not be changed without permission oft the City Official or Employee, and no ad- ditional administrative privileges may! be grantèd without permission of the City Of-  ficial or Employee.  6    4.2.4 Boards and Commissions have the option of allowing members to participate in social media sites as part of theirj job duties. Participating members must. not use. social media to çonduct business outside of publics meetings in violation oft the Sun-  shine. Act.  4.2.5 City employées must protect their privacy, the privacy of citizens, andi the infor- mation the City holds. Follow all privacy protection laws, and) protect sensitive and confidential Cityi information. Protected information that may not be disclosed in- cludes-among other information- - personally - identifiable health informationand individualized taxi information that is protected from disclosure to the public. 4.2.6 City employèes must follow all copyright laws, public récord laws, fair usez and finan- cial disclosure laws, and any other laws that apply to the City ort the. employee. 4.2.7 City employees: may not adyocate for the use of a particular private commercial ven- 4.2.8 City employees musti make it clear when they are speaking fort themselves and not on behalf of the City. If employees publish content on any, website outside of City control andi it has something to do with work they. do or subjects associated with the City, use. a disclaimer such as' "The postings on this site are my own and don't  dor or service.  necèssarily represent the City's positions and opinions."  4.2.9 City employees must not use discriminatory language, profanity, or personal insults, nor engage ina any conduct that would not be accèptable in the City's workplace. Avoid çomménts or topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory. 4.2.10. City employèes should identify themselves in their official capacity and should. ensure their profile and related content is consistent with how they wish to present  themselvés to colleagues, citizens and other stakeholders.  5: Appliçability.  This Social Media Policy applies to any persons employed or appointed by the City of Union- town, volunteers, and. interns. The City of Uniontown. Social Mediai Policy applies to' àny current or proposed social media sitès used by City departments or boardsand commissions.  Effective: Date:: Last Revised:  Immediately June 3, 2021 N/A  Bykxww City Clerk  Mawhall  7