Holyrood adopts social media policy

By Craig Westcott

The ills and benefits of social media received yet another airing at Holyrood Town Hall last month as council adopted a new policy regarding the use of Facebook, Twitter, and even e-mails.

With the memory of the roasting some people gave council following the presentation of its annual budget earlier this year, Councillor Laura Crawley, who chairs the Town’s communications meeting, prefaced her motion on the policy by describing social media as both a blessing and a curse.
While it’s great for sharing information and connecting families in cases of hurricanes and other emergencies, Crawley said, there is a danger of misinformation “and the derogatory statements and the tearing down (of people) behind walls.”

Crawley pointed to a recent social media kerfuffle where American presidential candidate Donald Trump retweeted a fake campaign endorsement from singer Taylor Swift that had been created by someone using artificial intelligence. The councillor cited the imbroglio as an argument as to why residents of Holyrood should turn to the Town’s website and social media channels if they want to get correct information about what is happening in town, such as when a recent water disruption occurred.

“We used our social media sites to first, warn of the upcoming water shut off, but then the next day with our emergency shut off, we used our Town (web)site and then again afterwards we put out a thank you to all our residents,” Crawley said. “So, I strongly, strongly encourage all our residents to monitor the Town site, monitor the Town Facebook site, and all our other social media and get your information about the Town from the Town and not rely on other sites. There may be possible misinformation out there.”

Crawley said the new policy is the result of two years of work by the communications committee.

“This stemmed from when we were going through creating our internal communications policy over the last couple of years and throughout the misinformation and some of the statements that have been made on council and on the Town and on employees that we feel that it is incumbent to have a social media policy that all the staff and employees and council must follow,” Crawley said. “It does tie in very well with our Code of Conduct that has already been passed and that we’ve all agreed to follow. So, it’s just a little bit more information (about) what is acceptable and nonacceptable on social media sites.”

The rules will also apply to e-mails written by councillors and staff, Crawley added.

“It’s basically just saying we won’t engage in derogatory (language), we won’t engage in misinformation, we can be held accountable if anyone from the Town – staff and councillors, anyone – interacts with that.

Council has had the policy for a few months to review, Crawley noted, before reading her motion into the record.

“The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to Holyrood council and employees who are authorized to use social media on behalf of the Town and to inform the public of the Town’s social media practices,” Crawley stated. “This policy also provides direction to all employees and members of council on their personal use of social media where Town interests may be involved.”

Deputy Mayor Michelle Woodford said the policy has been a long time coming and it’s great to see it implemented.

“Basically, what we’re trying to do is to inform the public on how to access our information,” Woodford said. “The goal here is to have our residents of Holyrood, and even those outside of the Town of Holyrood, be able to get used to coming to our own social media sites to be able to find the information that they’re looking for. Because when it’s coming from us, it’s actual, it’s factual information that we’re providing, and it’s no misinformation that somebody else is giving.”

Crawley said in no way is the policy meant to micromanage anyone. “It’s just to make sure that we have the right information going out and it doesn’t become a back and forth on the wrong sites with the wrong information and then crisscrossing and things like that,” she said.

“I think between you and the deputy mayor it’s well-explained,” said Mayor Gary Goobie.

The policy passed unanimously.