HomeMy Public PortalAboutADM-100_Social Media Use_Effective 12-04-2017
City of Lebanon
New Hampshire
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Policy Number Effective Date Last Revision Page No.
ADM-100
Previous #2014-01-A 2/14/2014 12/4/2017 Page 1 of 7
Approved by: Paula Maville, Interim City Manager
Section 1.0: Purpose
The City of Lebanon has established social media sites primarily in order to inform
residents about City programs and events, to encourage dialogue between
residents about these programs and events, and to exchange information and
knowledge between residents and City employees about these programs and
events. The City’s social media sites are not intended to be traditional public forums
for the general exchange of ideas and viewpoints, but rather a limited public forum
for discussion of specific programs and events. Courts have recognized that
governmental entities, such as the City, may create limited public forums for
specific purposes and limit discussion on the forum to those specific purposes. The
City shall remove content and postings not consistent with the specific purpose of
the social media sites and these Guidelines.
Section 2.0: Scope
Applies to all City employees or contractors creating or contributing to
LebanonNH.gov (and our related websites), blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual
worlds, or any other kind of City owned and operated social media.
Section 3.0: Summary
New and emerging online platforms are fundamentally changing the way the world
works, offering us new ways to collaborate and to engage with the public. The City
of Lebanon encourages the use of social media to further the outcomes of the City
and to assist us in our mission to better engage with our Community. The City
Manager has an overriding interest and expectation in deciding who may "speak,"
and what is "spoken," on behalf of the City of Lebanon to our respective residents.
To ensure that communication through City social media networks is consistent and
in the best interest of the City, this policy provides guidelines for the use of social
media.
Section 4.0: Policy Detail
1. All City of Lebanon social media platforms created by individual departments
will be subject to approval by the City Manager or his/her designee.
2. All departmental social media sites shall have a clear statement of the
purpose of the social media site and include a clear statement that “This
social media site is not intended to be a traditional public forum for the
general exchange of ideas and viewpoints, but rather a limited forum for
discussing…[insert the purpose of the social media site]. Courts have
recognized that governmental entities, such as the City, may create limited
public forums for specific purposes and limit discussion on the forum to those
City of Lebanon
New Hampshire
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Policy Number Effective Date Last Revision Page No.
ADM-100
Previous #2014-01-A 2/14/2014 12/4/2017 Page 2 of 7
Approved by: Paula Maville, Interim City Manager
specific purposes. The City shall remove content and postings not consistent
with the specific purposes of the social media sites and these Guidelines.”
3. The City of Lebanon’s website (LebanonNH.gov) will remain the City’s
primary and predominant Internet presence.
4. The City of Lebanon currently approves use of the following social media
networks:
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Google+
• Blogger
• Pinterest
• LinkedIn
Any social network not on this list is considered unapproved and may not be
used for City purposes without first obtaining written approval by the City
Manager.
5. Creation of all social media networks requires advance coordination between
departmental communication liaisons and the Information Technology
Division to ensure proper configuration.
6. Live Streaming: The use of live streaming (ie. Facebook Live, Periscope,
Google Hangouts, etc.) on any of the City’s approved social media platforms
must be approved by the City Manager’s office prior to broadcasting. This
approval must be sought before each live streaming event. Approval for one
live streaming event is not a blanket approval for future broadcasts. Please
use the Live Streaming Request Form
(https://lebanonnh.gov/FormCenter/Internal-13/Live-Stream-Request-89) to
submit a request for approval.
7. Wherever possible, content posted to City of Lebanon social media platforms
shall have originated from departmental websites. Configuration done by
Information Technology (as stated in #4) will include auto-posting new
content from departmental websites to approved social media platforms.
City of Lebanon
New Hampshire
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Policy Number Effective Date Last Revision Page No.
ADM-100
Previous #2014-01-A 2/14/2014 12/4/2017 Page 3 of 7
Approved by: Paula Maville, Interim City Manager
8. All social media networks shall be identified as “an official City of Lebanon
site,” and shall include the City Seal or approved logo. This will be done by
Information Technology staff during the configuration process.
9. Wherever possible, content posted to City of Lebanon social media networks
should contain links directing users back to the City’s official website for
more in-depth information, forms, documents or online services necessary to
conduct business with the City of Lebanon.
10. The use of social media networks shall serve the following purposes:
a. To disseminate time-sensitive information as quickly as possible;
b. To increase the City’s ability to broadcast its messages to the widest
possible audience; and
c. To push information to the public, not to directly communicate with them
(i.e. no response to posts, no answers to questions, comments, or
concerns)
11. Administration of the City’s social media networks shall be as follows:
a. The Information Technology Division will maintain a list of social media
platforms that are approved for use.
b. The Information Technology Division will maintain a list of all City social
media networks, including login and password information. Departmental
communication liaisons will inform Information Technology of any new
planned social media networks or desired changes to existing networks.
c. Information Technology staff must be able to immediately edit or remove
content from social media networks.
d. The Information Technology division under the direction of the City
Manager’s Office retains the authority to remove pages or close sites if
necessary.
12. Users and visitors to the City’s social media networks shall be notified that
the intended purpose of the network is to serve as a mechanism for receiving
information from the City. City of Lebanon social media postings may be
City of Lebanon
New Hampshire
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Policy Number Effective Date Last Revision Page No.
ADM-100
Previous #2014-01-A 2/14/2014 12/4/2017 Page 4 of 7
Approved by: Paula Maville, Interim City Manager
subject to removal if they are not related to the specific purpose of the social
media site.
The General Test: If a post’s subject matter is not related to the purpose of
the social media site, it is subject to removal.
Examples of posts that may be subject to removal:
a. Comments, materials, or links not related to the specific purpose of the
social media site.
b. Comments in support of or opposition to political campaigns or ballot
measures not related to the specific purpose of the social media site.
c. Profane language. The City intends for all members of the public,
including minors and others sensitive to such language, to access and use
its social media sites. To that end, any containing such language will
require increased scrutiny as to its ability to remain on the site. A post
containing profane language shall be subject to removal if the subject
matter of the post is not related to the purpose of the social media site.
d. Content 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,
or sexual orientation shall be subject to removal if the subject matter of
the post is not related to the purpose of the social media site.
e. Sexual content or links to sexual content. The City intends for all
members of the public, including minors and others sensitive to such
content, to access and use its social media sites. Examples of sexual
content are:
i. Graphic descriptions or depictions of sexual activity;
ii. Graphic descriptions or depictions of sexual intercourse; and
iii. Graphic descriptions or depictions of nudity.
f. Solicitations of commerce. No advertisements for commercial services,
products, or businesses shall be permitted on the social media sites.
City of Lebanon
New Hampshire
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Policy Number Effective Date Last Revision Page No.
ADM-100
Previous #2014-01-A 2/14/2014 12/4/2017 Page 5 of 7
Approved by: Paula Maville, Interim City Manager
g. Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity. Postings encouraging illegal
activity or depicting illegal activity shall be subject to removal if the
subject matter of the post is not related to the purpose of the social
media site.
h. Information that compromises the safety or security of the public or public
systems. Examples of information that compromises the safety or security
of the public or public systems is:
i. Threats of violence against City officials and employees;
ii. Personal identifying information of City officials and employees;
and
iii. Login information for City systems, such as usernames,
passwords, and PIN numbers.
i. Content that violates an intellectual property right of any third party. The
City shall remove content infringing on the intellectual property rights of a
third party upon receiving notice from said third party describing the
alleged infringement and establishing the legal right of the third party to
the alleged infringed material.
j. Any other content that violates local, State, or Federal laws, ordinance, or
regulations.
These guidelines will be part of the configuration process and will
be displayed to all users.
13. Wherever possible, all City of Lebanon social media networks shall comply
with all appropriate City of Lebanon policies and standards, including but not
limited to:
• Computer Use Policy
• Media Relations Policy
14. The City shall maintain records of its social media sites for a minimum of one
year pursuant to NHRSA 33-A:3-a (XXV). The Department maintaining the
platform is responsible for responding completely and accurately to any
public records request for public records on social media. Wherever possible,
social media networks shall clearly indicate that any articles and any other
content posted or submitted for posting are subject to public disclosure.
City of Lebanon
New Hampshire
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Policy Number Effective Date Last Revision Page No.
ADM-100
Previous #2014-01-A 2/14/2014 12/4/2017 Page 6 of 7
Approved by: Paula Maville, Interim City Manager
15. Posts shall only be removed from the City’s social media site by the director
of the relevant department or the Information Technology Division. Postings
shall only be removed pursuant to the Guidelines for the specific social media
site.
16. If a particular post is directed at a particular individual, that individual shall
not have the authority to remove that post.
17. The City’s social media sites shall be reviewed for compliance with the
Guidelines no less frequently than once a month, with more frequent review
encouraged.
a. The City’s social media sites shall be backed up electronically or printed
by the Information Technology Division once a month.
18. The City shall remove any content or posts that violate this social media
policy or any applicable law.
19. Any content or posts removed based on these guidelines must be retained,
including the time, date and identity of the author when available.
a. Any removed content shall be printed out in hard copy as it appears on
the social media site before it is removed.
b. Prior to the removal of any content or posts, the removing party shall
create a removal record. The removal record shall include:
i. A statement explaining why the content or post was removed,
including which provision of the Guidelines was violated;
ii. Who removed the content or post;
iii. When the content or post was removed; and
iv. Any other information relevant to the removal.
20. If there is any doubt whether content or a post is removable, the director of
the relevant department or the Information Technology Division should
contact the City’s legal counsel prior to taking any action.
21. Quasi-judicial departments of the City, including the Zoning Board of
Adjustment and the Planning Board, shall not have social media sites.
City of Lebanon
New Hampshire
ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES & PROCEDURES
GUIDELINES FOR USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Policy Number Effective Date Last Revision Page No.
ADM-100
Previous #2014-01-A 2/14/2014 12/4/2017 Page 7 of 7
Approved by: Paula Maville, Interim City Manager
Section 5.0: Policy & Procedure Revision History
Section Revisions Date
Original Adoption 2/14/17
Amendment 4.3 Changed Lebnh.net to LebanonNH.gov 7/18/17
Amendment 4.6 Added Live Streaming 12/4/17
Amendment