§ 37.22 APPROPRIATE CONTENT.
   (A)   All content represents the village and its departments. Unacceptable usage of social media platforms includes content which violates or supports/encourages the violation of local, state and federal law. Content which solicits money for or supports political causes is strictly prohibited. All content must be factual, credible, professional and useful to the village’s residents and functions.
   (B)   Use the guidelines below to manage the appropriateness of social media content. Also, please include a disclosure link which explains that the village reserves the right to delete or block the following types of content:
      (1)   Vulgar or offensive language;
      (2)   Content (or a user) that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability, genetic testing or sexual orientation;
      (3)   Spam;
      (4)   Content that advocates illegal activity;
      (5)   Promotion of particular goods and services;
      (6)   Content which supports or opposes political campaigns or ballot measures;
      (7)   Infringement upon copyrights or trademarks; and
      (8)   Information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems.
   (C)   The following is a list of issues to consider regarding implementation of social media communications.
      (1)   Use common sense. Do not post any content that would not be appropriate in other forms of media. Apply the same rules to social media platforms applied to traditional forms of communications, such as emails, press releases and web sites.
      (2)   Correct misinformation. It is important that users correct misinformation disseminated by employees or external users. Village employees should identify themselves and correct the mistake with respect and factual information. Most users won’t mind being corrected and will most likely distribute the correction.
      (3)   Do not violate confidentiality rule. Know what information can be shared with the public. Do not violate the village’s privacy, confidentiality or legal guidelines. Never comment on anything related to legal matters, litigation or any parties the village may be in litigation with, without appropriate approval.
      (4)   Public records: employees should be aware that any content posted on social media platforms could be considered a public record, and therefore original content must be retained in accordance with the appropriate state and village record retention schedules.
   (D)   Village Administrator/social media role: the Village Administrator shall oversee any social media communication involving village departments and employees. The Village Administrator will coordinate all social media activity within all village departments. His or her role should include determining if content is appropriate, relevant and disseminating corrections and ensuring that all social media platforms remain current and up-to-date. He or she should establish a management process to release and retire content, as well as monitor user comments if enabled. If your department wishes to use social media for your department’s business please contact the Village Administrator to discuss such use. Only authorized participants should contribute and represent the village.
(Ord. 20-2014, passed 5-19-2014)