06-24-14 Press Release - Supplemental Social Media Practices

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South Bend Common Council Supplemental Social Media Practices and Guidelines Page 5 of 6 Policy# 03-2014 19. Public and Private life — Whether we like it or not, assume that your life as an elected public official and your personal life will merge online, regardless of your care in separating them. We can learn from the publication Guidelines for Secure Use of Social Media by Federal Departments and Agencies, prepared by the Information and Security and Identity Management Committee (ISIMC), Network and Infrastructure Security Subcommittee (NISSC) and the Web 2.0 Security Working Group (W20SEG) (p. 6, 2009) which noted that when you decide to embrace social media technology, risk mitigation should include policies which "...focus on user behavior, both personal and professional'. 20. Consequences — Remember that your actions online reflect on your integrity as a Council Member, the entire Common Council, and the City of South Bend. 21. Be transparent — Declare personal interest when applicable. Be transparent about your affiliations, perspectives or previous coverage of a particular topic or individual. 22. Always be respectful — Understand that content contributed to a social media site could encourage comments or discussion of opposing ideas. Responses should be considered carefully in light of how they would reflect on the Common Council, the City of South Bend, and its overall voice as the 4`h largest municipality in the state of Indiana. 23. Know the rules — Make sure that what you post complies with the Common Council and/or the City of South Bend's social media policies, procedures and guidelines, as well as all other applicable laws, rules and regulations. If you have questions about using social media, check with the Council's "Public Information Officer (PIO)" who oversees the Council Policy # 2- 2013, or the City's PIO. Remember that whatever you post to social media sites is ultimately your responsibility. 24. Responsibility and Consequences — Because social media and the digital landscape are continuing to change rapidly, it is impossible to (write a policy that anticipates) anticipates the challenges, questions and issues that could be posed by new tools which emerge or evolve in the future. When you face such challenges or questions, it's always best to discuss them with the PIO. Remember that once a post is made there will be consequences, so always be smart, use good judgment and common sense. Embracing social media is a risk-based decision - We can again learn from the publication Guidelines for Secure Use of Social Media by Federal Departments and Agencies, prepared by the Information and Security and Identity Management Committee(ISIMC), Network and