Chapter 1.400
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Sections:
1.400.030 Tips for using social media sites.
1.400.010 Purpose.
Chelan County elected offices, departments, programs, divisions, etc. (hereafter referenced as Chelan County) may utilize existing and emerging social media tools to provide information to and interact with the public. Social media is broadly defined as internet-based communications technology that provides immediacy, interactivity and the sharing of information across multiple platforms.
The county encourages the use of social media, where appropriate, to further the goals of the county and its missions.
Chelan County has an overriding interest and expectation in deciding what is “spoken” on behalf of the county through social media. This policy establishes guidelines for the use of social media by Chelan County. (Res. 2023-7 (Att. A), 1/17/23).
1.400.020 Policy.
(1) Use of any and all social media by Chelan County must receive prior approval from the county’s IT department director and will be subject to review by the public information officer.
(2) The Chelan County website, www.co.chelan.wa.us, will remain the county’s primary and predominant internet presence.
(3) The best, most appropriate Chelan County uses of social media tools fall generally into two categories:
(A) As channels for disseminating time-sensitive information as quickly as possible (example: emergency information).
(B) As communications/outreach tools that increase the county’s ability to provide messages to the widest possible audience.
(4) Whenever possible, content posted to official Chelan County social media sites will first be posted on the county’s official website(s).
(5) Whenever possible, content posted to official Chelan County social media sites should contain links directing users back to the county’s official website(s) for in-depth information, forms, documents, or online services necessary to conduct business with Chelan County.
(6) Whenever possible, graphics/PDFs containing verbiage posted to official Chelan County social media sites should include either English and Spanish versions or dual language for the inclusivity of the community.
(7) Designated county elected offices, departments, programs, divisions, etc., staff will be responsible for the content and upkeep of any official social media sites they may create. All postings and comments made to official county social media sites can be removed by the public information officer or other assigned managerial staff if it is determined the post or comments do not further the goals of the county and its missions.
(8) Designated county staff responsible for the content and upkeep of any official county social media site will read and understand this policy. They also will attend quarterly educational social media policy meetings organized by the public information officer to share ideas, trends and more.
(9) Social media sites currently approved for use by the county are: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
(10) Any additional social media sites proposed for county use must first be approved prior to activation by an elected official representing an elected office or an individual department director and then be reported to the IT department.
(11) Use of official Chelan County social media sites shall comply with all applicable policies, rules and regulations of Chelan County.
(12) No social media site may endorse or recommend any specific commercial activity or vendor. This includes “friending,” “liking,” “linking,” becoming a “fan,” “watching,” or “following” any nongovernmental entities. Other government sites and some nonprofit entities may be mentioned and linked on the social media site, but only to the extent they are organizations directly related to county services or the conduct of government. Endorsing, or appearing to endorse, private citizens, political groups or commercial profiles is expressly disallowed.
(13) Official Chelan County social media sites are subject to state of Washington public records laws. Any content maintained in a social media format that is related to county business, including a list of subscribers and posted communication, is a public record. The department, elected office, division, program, etc., maintaining the site is responsible for responding completely and accurately to any public records request related to the county’s use of social media.
(14) Content related to county business shall be maintained in an accessible format (ArchiveSocial or another social media archiving software are accessible formats) so that it can be produced in response to a request and shall be retained for a period not less than required by the Local Government Common Records Retention Schedule (CORE). Whenever possible, such social media sites shall clearly indicate that any content posted or submitted for posting is subject to public disclosure. Whenever possible, users shall be notified that public disclosure requests must be directed to the county’s public records officer at https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/public-records-request.
(15) Washington State law and relevant Chelan County records retention schedules apply to social media formats and social media content. The elected offices, departments, programs, divisions, etc., maintaining a site shall preserve records required to be maintained pursuant to a relevant records retention schedule for the required retention period.
(16) Official Chelan County social media sites shall include notification to site users/visitors of the county’s social media comment policy. Notification can include a link to the policy (https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/communications/pages/social-media) or the following:
Comments made will in no way constitute a legal or official notice or comment to Chelan County government, the Chelan County board of county commissioners or its departments.
Comments should be on-topic. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the author. You are responsible for the content of your comments. We allow comments reflecting any point of view that are on-topic, but we expect comments to be civil. We reserve the discretion to delete comments and ban users that are off-topic repeatedly or contain any of the following:
(A) Personal information including, but not limited to, email addresses, telephone numbers, mailing addresses or personal identification numbers.
(B) Personal attacks or defamatory statements, including derogatory epithets directed at another individual or group of individuals.
(C) Violent, obscene, profane or threatening language.
(D) Advertisements or solicitations of any kind.
(E) Repetitive posts, including those that are copied and pasted.
(F) Comments that promote or oppose any person campaigning for election to a political office or promote or oppose any ballot proposition.
Any content removed based on these restrictions must be retained, including the time and date of the posting and the identity of the poster (if available).
(17) The county reserves the right to restrict and/or remove any content posted to official county social media sites that it deems to be in violation of this social media policy or other applicable law, rule, or regulation.
(18) County employees and/or elected officials are prohibited from disclosing any information via social media posts that may be confidential or may otherwise compromise the county.
(19) Only official county social media sites may be used by county employees and/or elected officials to conduct official county business.
(20) All social media site posts by county employees and/or elected officials regarding official county business are subject to Washington State public disclosure laws, open meetings laws, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations.
(21)(A) County employees and/or elected officials who have personal social media accounts may not:
(i) Use personal accounts to conduct county business.
(ii) Represent themselves on a personal account as a spokesperson for Chelan County or one of its departments, elected offices, divisions or programs.
(iii) Use a county email account to create or log into personal social media accounts.
(iv) Use county devices to maintain your personal accounts.
(B) Employees and/or elected officials also are encouraged to:
(i) Make their role within the county clear when choosing to respond to county statements/posts on social media accounts.
(ii) Place a disclaimer in their user bios emphasizing that all opinions are strictly their own.
(22) This policy applies to all Chelan County departments, elected offices, divisions, programs, etc., and employees. (Res. 2023-7 (Att. A), 1/17/23).
1.400.030 Tips for using social media sites.
(1) Be Cautious. If you are about to post information that makes you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, pause and think about it. Be smart about protecting sensitive and/or confidential county information, as well as your own privacy. Remember that what is posted via social media is widely accessible, not easily retractable, subject to scrutiny, and will be around for a long time.
(2) Post Only What You Know. Make sure that what you post regarding official county business falls into your specific area of expertise. Do not post about county business that you are not involved in. There are too many opportunities for misperceptions to be created if you post on subjects that you aren’t completely familiar with.
(3) Avoid Personal Posts about County Business. In the social media environment, the lines between public and private, personal and professional are easily blurred. Keep in mind that even if you are posting about county business using personal equipment or a personal account, what you say is subject to public disclosure laws, open meetings laws, and all other applicable laws, rules and regulations.
(4) Be Honest and Straightforward. All posts should be accurate and should avoid being misleading in any way. Present information in posts as simply as possible. Posts that are brief and to the point leave less room for misinterpretation. If you happen to post information that misses the mark, be quick to point it out and correct it.
(5) Stick to the Facts. Post information that is based on your knowledge, rather than your opinion. Whenever possible, reference information that is available on the county’s website or is otherwise easily accessible. By sticking to the facts, you will be seen as an unbiased, trusted source of information about county business.
(6) Know the Rules. Make sure that what you post complies with the Chelan County social media policy and all other applicable laws, rules, and regulations. If you have questions about using social media, check with the county’s public information officer. Remember that whatever you post to social media sites is ultimately your responsibility. (Res. 2023-7 (Att. A), 1/17/23).