Post on 26-May-2018
transcript
today, tomorrow, together a new RTÉ for the connected age
RTÉ Social Media Guidelines
ContentsIntroduction 2 •ReasonfortheseGuidelines 2
•WhatIsMeantBySocialMedia? 2
•ClassificationofAccounts 2
•BreachesofGuidelines 3
•ObligationsandConstraints 3
•GuidelinesUpdatingProcedure 4
Section1. Set-upandManagementofOfficialRTÉ BrandedSocialMediaAccounts 5
1.1EditorialPurpose 5
1.2RolesandResponsibilities 6
1.3Moderation 7
1.4RTÉBranding 8
1.5SocialMediaAccountCreation 9
1.6Engagement 9
1.7RightsIssuesandClearance 11
1.8CrisisManagement 12
1.9ExitStrategy 13
1.10Newsletters 13
1.11Advertising 13
1.12ChildrenandYoungPeople 13
1.13HowtoDealwithAbuse/Trolling 14
1.14ProductEndorsements 14
Section2. PersonalSocialMediaAccountsofRTÉStaffandContractors 15 2.1WhatismeantbyHybridPersonal/PersonalAccount? 15
2.2HybridPersonalAccounts(Class3) 15
2.3PersonalAccounts(Class4) 15
2.4OwnershipofRTÉcontentonpersonalaccounts 15
Section3. UsingExternalSocialMediaPlatforms 17 3.1Informationgatheringandsourcematerial 17
Appendices 19 Appendix1.SocialMediaAccountandStrategyClearanceForm,Classifications1and2 19
Appendix2.DeclarationFormreClass1,2or3Account 24
Appendix3.SocialMediaandYourShow 25
Appendix4.RTÉBrandingonFacebookandTwitter 26
Social Media Guidelines
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Think before you TWEET*
Think before you POST*
Think before you UPDATE**can you stand over what you publish?
2 Social Media Guidelines
AllRTÉstaffandcontributorsshouldbeawareofandshouldabidebytheRTÉSocialMediaGuidelines.JournalistsandothereditorialpersonnelshouldtakecaretopreserveRTÉ’seditorialintegrityinanycommentsorpostingsmadebythemonsocialmediasites,eveniftheseareofapersonalorhybridtype.Commentsorcriticismsonpublicevents,issuesorpersonalities,whetheroriginatedorcopied/shared,orwhetherexplicitorimplied,whichmayappeartocompromisetheeditorialindependenceandimpartialityofanRTÉeditorialprofessionalorRTÉitselfaredamagingtoRTÉ’sinterestandpublicresponsibilityandshouldnotbeengagedin.
Socialmediaandbroadcastingarepowerfulpartners.Socialmediaallowspeopletoenjoyourcontentinmanywaysandonmanylevels.Itconnectsuswithaudiencesandisaplatformtodevelopnewcommunitieswhoshareacommonconnection:RTÉ.
SocialmediaplatformslikeTwitterarenowconsideredestablishedplatformstobreaknewsstoriesortoprovideaprimarysourcematerialand,alongwithFacebook,YouTubeetc.,arecommonplaceinthesphereofprivateandpubliclife;socialmedia,increasingly,ishowweandouraudienceskeepincontactwithfriends,discusslifestyleandrelatedissues,andsharecontent.
RTÉencouragesitsstaffandcontractorstobeactiveinandengagewithsocialmedia.Theseguidelinesaimtoprovidecommon-senseguidanceforitsuse.
Theinternetisafast-movingtechnologyanditisimpossibletocoverallcircumstances.However,theprinciplesandpracticessetoutinthisdocumentshouldalwaysbefollowed.Afullknowledgeoftheseguidelinesisthepersonalresponsibilityofallstaff,anessentialprofessionalrequirementandamatterofcontractualobligation.Associalmediaandotheronlinetoolsputthepowertopublishourstories,ourlivesandouropinionsintoallofourhands,theimpactofthisonRTÉ’spublicservicemissionissomethinginwhichweareallinvolved.
Reason for These GuidelinesTheseguidelinesaremeanttoassistRTÉstaffandcontractorsnavigateanevolvingsocialmedialandscape.Asthismediumdevelopswewillrevisittheguidelinesaccordingly.
Ifindoubtaboutanyaspectoftheguidelinesasoutlinedbelowpleasecontactyourlinemanagerinthefirstinstance.S/hemaythen,ifappropriate,referyoutoamemberoftheHumanResourcesorCommunicationsteamswhowillclarifyanyquery.OnoccasionyoumayalsobereferredtoadesignatedsocialmediaspecialistwithintheIBDs.
What Is Meant by Social Media?Theseguidelinescoverallsocialmediaplatformsincludingbutnotlimitedto:
•Socialnetworkingsites(Facebook,Myspace,LinkedIn)
•Micro-bloggingsites(Twitter)
•Blogs(includingcompanyandpersonalblogsaswellascommentsonallsocialmediaplatforms)
•Videoandphotosharingwebsites(Flickr,YouTube)
•Forumsanddiscussionboards(Boards.ie,GoogleGroups,Yahoo!Groups)
•Onlineencyclopedias(Wikipedia,Sidewiki)
Classifications of AccountsRTÉacknowledgesfourclassificationsofaccount:
1. Official Service Account (e.g.@rtenews;@rteradio1;@rteplayer)
Anaccountwhichisofficiallysetup,monitoredandmanagedbyRTÉ
2. Official Programme Account (e.g.@drivetimerte; @morning_ireland)
AprogrammeaccountwhichisofficiallysetupandmonitoredandmanagedbyRTÉ
3. Hybrid Personal Use by On-Air/Editorial Staff (e.g.@miriamocal,@bryansixone)
Apersonalaccountthatanon-airpresenter,reporterorotherRTÉstaffmember/contractoralsousesforworkrelatedmatters.Holdersofsuchanaccountmustcomplywiththeseguidelineswhenusingahybridpersonalaccountforalluse,includingwithoutlimitationpersonalandprofessionaluse.
4. Private Personal Use
ApersonalaccountisasocialmediaaccountsetupandoperatedbyanemployeeorcontractorforpersonalmattersandcontainsminimalassociationbetweentheuserandRTÉ.Nonetheless,theseaccounts,bynatureoftheowner’scontractualassociationwithRTÉ,areboundbytheseguidelines.
Introduction
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Breaches of Guidelines Theseguidelinesarecontractuallybindingandformpartofthetermsandconditionsofemploymentand/orengagementwithRTÉ.
Breachoftheseguidelineswillbetreatedasadisciplinarymatterforemployeesandsubjecttothenormalcoursesofdisciplinaryaction.Contractorsmayhavetheircontractsterminatediffoundtohavebreachedtheseguidelines.
Obligations and ConstraintsWeareallobligedtounderstandtheconstraintsthatapplytousasRTÉstafforcontractorswhenweoperate,administrateorusesocialmediathatsitsinoneormoreoftheabovecategories.
Staffandcontractorsshouldbeawarethatpublishingonsocialmediaisnodifferenttopublishingontraditional/mainstreammediaandmustbeawareoftherisksthatmayariseasaresultofpublicationonsocialmediasuchasdefamation,contemptandprivacyandintellectualpropertyrightsinfringement(includingcopyrightand
trademarks).StaffandcontractorsshouldrefertothelegalguidedocumentsthatareavailableontheHub(http://hub.rte.ie/).
Thesesocialmediaguidelinesdonotexistinisolation.Forabetterunderstandingofhowtheseguidelinesareinformedbyotherrelatedpoliciesandguidelines,staffandcontractorsshouldbefamiliarwiththerelevantsectionsofthepolicydocumentsoutlinedonthenextpage.
@rte on TwitterRTÉ’sorganisationalaccountis@rte.Accountsshouldtreatthisaccountastheleaderconsumerengagementaccountandengageproactivelywiththeaccountsoastomaximiseexposure.ForserviceswithoutdedicatedTwitteraccounts,theconventionwhenreferringisasfollows:“@rteOne”;“@rteTwo”;“@rteCornanOg”;“@rteSupportingtheArts”,etc.
TheaccountaimstopromoteRTÉandallitsservicestoarangeofdemographics,publishingnews,entertainment,sportandlifestylecontent,drivingbacktotheoriginating
serviceTwitteraccounts.Allaccountshavemuchtogainfromastrong@rteaccountand,asthisaccountgrows,itsabilitytopromoteRTÉ’ssmalleraccountsissignificant.
Assuch@rteshouldbeacentralconsiderationforallsocialmediaoperatorsandadmins,andshouldbecentraltoanylocalsocialmediastrategy.Inparticular,@rteshouldbetheactiveconsumerpartnerforcompetitions,content-distributionandgeneralpromotionalormar-commsactivities.
Theaccountisresourcedbyacentralteamwhoareavailabletoassistwiththepromotionofanycontentorclass1,2or3accounts.
For All StaffRTÉ Staff ManualTheIrishandEnglishlanguageversionsoftheRTÉStaffManual areavailableontheHub.
Social media platforms like Twitter are now considered established platforms to break news stories.
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Chapter 7 Policies and Procedures, Section 6 – RTÉ Personal and Public Activities of StaffThissectionoftheRTÉStaffManualwasupdatedin2010andtheupdatedversioncanbeaccessedontheHub.
(Note:Section6[subsection4]oftheabovedocumentprovidesguidancearoundtheareaofRTÉStaffandPolitics.)
RTÉ Code of Business Conduct (2010)
RTÉ Child Protection Policy 2013 ThispolicywasupdatedinJune2013anddevelopedinlinewiththerequirementsof‘ChildrenFirstNationalGuidancefortheProtectionandWelfareofChildren2011’.http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/RT%C3%89-Child-Protection-Policy-2013.pdf
For Programme-Makers and Journalists Programme-makersandjournalistsshouldsupplementknowledgeofsocialmediaguidelinesbyconsultingthedocumentsbelow.
RTÉ Journalism Guidelines
RTÉ Programme Content Standards
All of these documents, both Irish and English versions, are available on RTÉ’s intranet, the Hub.
Guidelines Updating ProcedureTheseguidelineswillbereviewedasrequired.ThisdocumentisavailableontheHub.ThisonlineversionwillalwaysbeuptodateandanychangestoitwillbehighlightedbynewsitemsontheHub.
These guidelines are contractually binding and form part of the terms and conditions of employment and/or engagement with RTÉ.
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ThissectionrelatestoOfficialServiceAccounts(Classification1)andOfficialProgrammeAccounts(Classification2).TheseareaccountssetupandmanagedbyRTÉtypicallywithaviewtopromotingservicesorprogrammes.Theseaccounts(Classification1&2)arethepropertyofRTÉandallmaterialassociatedwiththeaccountbeitcontent,friends,followersetc.isownedbyRTÉ.Examplesarethe @rtenewstwitteraccountorthe RTÉGuideFacebookpage, https://www.facebook.com/rteguide.
Context ThissectionisintendedtohelpRTÉstaffandcontractorsengagewithusersonRTÉ’sownsitesandwithRTÉauthorisedaccountsonthird-partysocialmediasites.RTÉencourageseveryproductionandrelatedservicesteamtoactivelyconsiderthesocialmediaspace.
1.1 Editorial PurposeSocialmediadevelopmentmustbeviewedaspartofthecommissioningprocess.Becauseallprogrammesandseriesaredifferent,theapplicationofsocialmediawillchangefromoneproductiontothenext.Someprogrammeswill,bytheirnature,havelittleornosocialmediapresence.OfficialServiceandOfficialProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)musthaveavalidcommunicationspurposeinlinewiththeplatform/brandmission
(SeeSocialMediaAccountandStrategyClearanceForm–Appendix1).
It is strongly advised that all informal activity on third-party sites such as Facebook and on blogs be discussed with relevant managers to assess likely risks.
•Whatistheeditorialpurpose?Howdoesthisfitinwiththeoveralleditorialandmarketingstrategy?
•Doesthesocialmediaaccountappealtoakeydemographicthat’snotalreadybeingservedviaRTÉ.ie?Isthistherightaccountwiththerightaudience?
• Doesanythingsimilaralreadyexist?Ifitdoes,wouldworkingwithanexistingpresencebebetterforthecommunityandforRTÉ?
•Whatcommitmentsaretheteamwillingtomaketothesocialmediaaccount?Aretheproperresourcesinplacetokeepitrefreshedandrelevant?Forhowlong?
• Isthetopicofyoursocialmediaaccounthighrisk(e.g.religion,sport,politics,etc.)?Whatformofmoderationwillyouemployonyoursocialmediaaccount?(SeeSection4-Moderation.)
• Whathappenstoyouronlinefollowerswhentheprogrammeends?(SeeSection11–ExitStrategy.)
•Howwillsuccessbemeasured?Whatarethetargets?
•Istheoveralltimeandresourceinvestmentlikelytobeworththebenefitthepresencemaydeliver?
Accountabilityisessential.TheLineManager/Editor/CommunicationsManager/MarketingManager(asappropriate)willagreeondesignatedsocialmediaadministrator(s)forOfficialServiceAccounts(Classification1)andOfficialProgrammeAccounts(Classification2),whowillactasbotheditorandmoderator.Thesocialmediaadministrator(s)willbeamemberoftherelevantplatform/editorial/marketingteam.Theywillberesponsibleformaintaining,refreshingandmoderatingtheaccount.
Allsocialmediaadministrator(s)mustbefamiliarwiththelegalguidedocumentsthatareavailableontheHub(http://hub.rte.ie/).Publishingonsocialmediaisthesameaspublishingonmainstream/traditionalmedia.Therisksshouldbecarefullyconsideredpriortopublishingonsocialmedia,forexample,defamation,contempt,privacyandintellectualpropertyrights(e.g.copyright/trademark)infringement.
The Legal Guide Documents Are Available Here:Legal Advice Note – Defamation and the Protection of Reputation http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Protection-of-Reputation-KF1.pdf
Legal Advice Note – Privacy Law http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Privacy-Law-Advice-Note-April-20121.pdf
Legal Advice Note – Contempt http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Contempt-of-Court-and-Court-Reporting1.pdf
Legal Advice Note – Copyright Infringement Useoftext,photographs,artisticworks,audioand/oraudiovisualcontentfromsocialnetworking/mediasharingwebsitesonRTÉservices.http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Use-of-Material-from-Social-Networking-Websites-on-RTÉ-Services1.pdf
Section 1. Set-up and Management of Official RTÉ Branded Social Media Accounts
1.2. Roles and ResponsibilitiesThesocialmediaadministrator(s)areresponsibleformaintainingregularaudienceengagementwhenusingthird-partysites.Thiswillhelptokeeptrackofactiveaccountsandmanageanyrisk-relatedsituationsthatarise.
Theuseofnon-RTÉpersonnel(independentcontractorsorexternalagencies)tomanagesocialmediaaccounts(Classification1&2)isfineoncetheproperinsurancesaboutresponsibilityareinplace.(Note:Appendix1:ClearancetoCreateaClass1orClass2AccountandSection1.3aroundModeration).RTÉmusthavein-houseadministratoraccessonallsocialmediaaccounts(Classification1&2)evenifadministrationofthe
accountisdesignatedtoanindependentproductioncompany,agencyorexternalcontractor.
CaremustbetakenwhenpostingupdatesonOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)toensurethatpostsaresentfromthecorrectaccount.Thisisparticularlyimportantforsocialmediaadministrator(s)usingnumerousaccounts(andwhomayalsohavepersonalsocialmediaaccounts).Trynottobeloggedontomultipleaccountssimultaneously,particularlyonmobiledevices.Thiscanleadtopostsbeinginadvertentlypublishedfromwrongaccountsor,worseagain,postsmeantforyourpersonalaccountendinguponOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2).
PasswordsForsecurityreasons,itisnecessarytokeepthenumberofthosewithaccessdetails,log-insandpasswordstoaminimum.Inadditiontothesocialmediaadministrator(s)aseniormemberoftheprogrammeteam,usuallytheseriesproducer/editorormanager,mustatalltimes,haveadministratoraccesstotheOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2).
IntheeventthatanOfficialService/ProgrammeAccount(Classification1&2)isbeingadministeredbyanindependentproductioncompany,passwordsshouldbechangedonlybyprioragreementwithRTÉ.
For security reasons, it is necessary to keep the number of those with access details, log-ins and passwords to a minimum.
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Alist,includingcontactdetails,ofthosewithaccesstotheaccountmustbeheldsecurelybyadesignatedsocialmediaadministrator.All passwords should be alphanumeric and include at least one symbol.
Principles and PracticesWhenusingsocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications)eitheronbehalfofRTÉ(Classification1&2)orinapersonalcapacity(Classification3&4),youshould:
•Actresponsibly
•UnderstandthelegalguidancedocumentsreferredtoinSection1.1
•Beauthentic,truthfulandrespectful
•Avoiddisputes
•Usecommonsense
1.3 Moderation Moderationisthemonitoringandeditorialadministrationofsocialmediaaccounts.
ItisnecessarytounderstandthelevelofmoderationanOfficialService/ProgrammeAccount(Classification1&2)requiresinordertoevaluatewhetheritshouldbepost-moderatedorreactivelymoderated.Themoreactivetheaccountanditsfanbasearethemoremonitoringisrequired.NoOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)shouldbeleftuncheckedfordaysonend.Thetypeofmoderationusedonanaccountshouldbestatedintheaccountdescriptionsothatitsusersarefullyinformed,suchas:
“Thisaccountisreactivelymoderated–wewillonlyconsiderremovingpostsorcommentsthatwereceivecomplaintsabout”or
“Weactivelymoderatethisaccountandanycommentsthatweconsiderunsuitableorinbadtastewillbedeletedandpersistentabuserswillbeblocked.”
BeforesettingupanOfficialService/ProgrammeAccount(Classification1&2)onathird-partysocialmediaplatformitisessentialfortheproducer/editortoevaluatetheriskandtosetclearguidelinesforthesocialmediaadministrator(s)aroundmoderation.ItisimportantalsotoestablishaHouseRulessectionforthecommunityofusersonthethird-partysocialmediaplatform(seeRTÉbrandingonFacebookandTwitter–Appendix4).
Therearethreebasicformsofmoderation:
I. Reactive ModerationReactivemoderationiswhentheaccountownerofasocialmediaaccount/siteorapagepassivelymanagesit.Wheninformedofamessagethatiseitherillegalorinappropriate,theaccount/siteownerproceedstomoderatethatcommentbyremovingit.
II. Post-ModerationPost-moderationiswhenasocialmediaaccount/siteowneractivelymoderatescommentsthatarepostedtoasocialmediaaccount/site.Priortobeinginformedofanillegalorinappropriatecomment,themoderatorchoosestoevaluatethecommentandremovesit.
III. Pre-Moderation Pre-moderationiswhenasocialmediaaccount/siteownerchoosestoacceptorrejectcommentsbeforetheyarepostedtoasocialmediaaccount/site.
RTÉDigitalemploysapre-moderationstrategyonRTÉ.iewhereanythird-partycommentsaremoderatedbeforebeinguploaded.AsRTÉownstheRTÉ.ieplatform,RTÉisresponsibleforthecommentsand,therefore,dutyboundnottopublishillegalcontent.
Onthird-partysocialmediaplatforms,personspublishingcommentsaredeemedtobethepublishersandtheyareliableforanyinaccuracies.However,RTÉasthesocialmediaaccountoperatorneedstomonitorcommentsandpoststoensureillegal/offensivecontentisnotpublished.AlthoughTwitterandLinkedIncannotbepre-moderated,commentsonYouTubeandpostsonFacebookcanbe.ItisimportanttopointoutthatFacebookpostscanbepre-moderatedbutcommentsunderpublishedpostscannot.Thesecanonlybedeletedbythesocialmediaadminstrator(s)aftertheyhavebeenpublished.
Specifically,don’tallowracist,sectarian,bullyingorsexistcomments;alsowatchoutfortheuseofbadlanguagewhich,generally,shouldnotbepublished.OnFacebookthe‘ProfanityBlocklist’shouldalwaysbesetto‘Strong’.Youcanalsoaddspecificwordstotheblocklist.
Asadefault,commentsundervideosuploadedtoRTÉ’sYouTubechannelarepre-moderated.
ThereareparticularrisksinandaroundthelivebroadcastofTVorradioprogrammesthatcontaincompetitiveelements,fromsportseventstobigticketentertainmentshows,outputwhereemotionsamongaudiencescanrunhigh.
Itisimportantthatmanagementofsocialmediamoderationisparticularlyfocusedaroundpeakperiods,immediatelybefore,duringandaftertransmissionand/orduringpressannouncementsabouttheseriesoradvancepublicityreleases.However,allOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)needtobemonitoredregularlybythesocialmediaadministrator(s),evenwhenaprogrammeisoff-air.
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1.4 RTÉ Branding(SeealsoRTÉbrandingonFacebookandTwitter–Appendix4.)
TheRTÉBrandmaynotbeusedwithoutpermissionandconsultation.PermissiontouseanyRTÉbrandmustbesoughtbeforethelogoisusedfromEmer Beesley, Corporate Marketing Manager, emer.beesley@rte.ie.
ApprovedprogrammelogosandassociatedlogoscanbeobtainedfromtherelevantCommunicationsDepartmentoronlineviaRTÉ’sBrandPortal,www.rte.ie/branding.
ReferencestoRTÉshouldalwayscarryafadawhenusedonallmedia,includingthird-partysocialmediaaccounts.Onthoseoccasionswhereuseofthefadawillpresentacorruptedcharacter/symbol,RTÉcanbedisplayedwithoutafada.
Programmeteamsshouldensurethatallprogrammeimagesusedbyindependentproductioncompaniesonthird-partywebsitesincludingsocialmediaaccounts(Classification1&2)areapprovedandclearedforintellectualpropertyrightssuchascopyrightortrademarks.Additionallyitisessentialtoincludethebrand/logoofyourIBD/programme,orapprovedprogrammephotography,onthird-partywebsitesincludingsocialmediaaccounts(Classification1&2).Thisnotonlyelevatesawarenessofthebrandbutalsoprovidesahigherlevelofopennessandtransparency.
PositioningyourselfasanRTÉbrandmeansyoumustpresentyourselfinatrustworthyandgenuinemanner.Programmeteamsshouldensurethatbrand/logos,whereused,areinaccordancewithRTÉ’sbrandguidelines.TheRTÉBrandGuidelinesareintheprocessofrevision;pleaserefertoexistingRTÉBrandGuidelines(SeealsoRTÉbrandingonFacebookandTwitter–Appendix4.)
AlllogosshouldcontainlinksbacktotherelevantlandingpageonRTÉ.ie.Ifthisfacilityisn’tavailable,thelinkshouldbeinsertedasclosetothelogoaspossible,aswellasinthebio/informationpage.
Thebio/informationpageshouldcapturetheRTÉassociation,programme/campaigninsightandanyotherinformationpertinenttothesocialmediaaccount[e.g.hoursofoperation,TXinformationetc].
Ifusingapprovedprogrammephotography,itshouldbecleartousersthattheyareinteractingwithanOfficialServiceorProgrammeSocialMediaAccount(Classification1&2)operatedbyRTÉ.Youshouldsuperimposethechannellogoontokeyimages.
Account Naming(SeealsoRTÉbrandingonFacebookandTwitter–Appendix4.)
WhereRTÉprogrammeshaveapresenceonsocialmedia,theprogrammenamemustappearwithRTÉprecedingit[e.g.RTÉPrimeTime,RTÉMorningIreland].ItisalsopermittedforthechannelstohaveapresenceandtheyshouldappearwithRTÉprecedingthestationname[e.g.RTÉTwo,RTÉRadio1].WhenusingTwitter,itispermittedtousetheRTÉtitlewithoutthefada;examples@rtetv50,@rtethevoiceetc.,butonlyinthehandle;thefadashouldbeusedonthename.Forexample: ‘RTÉ Radio 1’, @rteradio1.
References to RTÉ should always carry a fada when used on all media, including third-party social media accounts.
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1.5 Social Media Account CreationAllOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)mustbesetupbyRTÉ,inconjunctionwithRTÉe-mailaddresses,toensurethatcontentcanbelinkedacrossallplatformsandthebenefittoRTÉismaximised.(SeeRTÉBrandGuidelinesandalsoRTÉBrandingonFacebookandTwitter–Appendix4)
PleasenotethatRTÉ’spreferenceisthatOfficialServiceAccounts(Classification1)leadatalltimes;officialaccountsforspecificprogrammes(Classification2)shouldonlybeopenedwheredefinedbespokeobjectivesexist.
ForradioandTVprogrammesand/orseriescommissionedfromtheindependentsector,allOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)shouldbesetup,inthefirstinstancebyRTÉ.Asocialmediaadministrator(s)fromtheindependentproductioncompanyshouldthenbedesignatedasanadditionalpointofcontact.OfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)shouldNOTbesetupaspagesonindependentproductioncompanycorporatesites.Log-indetailsandpasswordsmustbeforwardedtotheprogramme/serieseditor[s]andtherelevantCommunicationsdivision.Theseshouldnotbechangedwithout24hourspriornotificationtosameandshouldneverbechangedduringtransmissionoftheprogrammewithoutconsultation.
ProgrammeteamsshouldconductonlinesearchesbeforenewOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)arecreatedtodetermineifexistingaccounts,sites,pagesorprofilescanbeusedmoreeffectivelyinstead.RTÉalsohascontractualpartnershipswithsocialnetworkingsitesforexample(YouTube)andtherelevantmarketingdepartmentshouldbeconsultedbeforedevelopinganyOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2).
Overtheyears,manynon-RTÉbrandedsocialmediaaccountshavebeendevelopedbythird-parties(independentproducers,generalpublicandothers)andtheseshouldbeevaluatedforrelevancy.CanthesebetakenoverorshutdowntoreduceconfusionaroundRTÉbrands?
IfmistakesaremadeinthecreationofnewOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)itisessentialtocorrectordeletethem.Deletionusuallyneedstobedoneincollaborationwiththethird-partysocialmediaplatformandmayrequireinputfromaseniorRTÉmanager.
Privacy SettingsBeawarethattheuseofsocialmediacanexposeyouandRTÉtoscamsandotherthreats.Pleasereviewtheprivacysettingswhensettingupasocialmediaaccount(Classification1,2&3)andensureyouuseastrongpasswordtoprotecttheaccount.Itisimportanttoneverusethesamepasswordacrossthird-partywebsitesandmakesurethepasswordisuniquesoastoelevateitsstrengthlevel.IfindoubtyoushouldconsultRTÉTechnology’sguidelinesonstrongpasswordsavailablehere:http://hub.rte.ie/resources/strong-password-guidelines/
Itgoeswithoutsayingthatsocialmediascamsareontheincreaseandsimplemeasurescanbeputinplacetoalleviatethepotentialforhackingand/orsocialengineering.
1.6 EngagementBeforeanOfficialService/ProgrammeAccount(Classification1&2)islaunched(beitapage/profile/site)youmustdeterminewhatlevelofaudienceengagementisdesired,whatresourcesareneededandoverwhatperiodoftimethiswilltakeplace.Forexample,aFacebookpagethatpromotesupcomingeditionsofaTVprogrammebyutilisingclips,promosand/orteaserinformationwillneedcontinuousupdating.
(SeeSocialMediaandYourShow–Appendix3.)
However,youmaywanttoofferahigherlevelofengagementwithinthird-partysites.
Forexample:
•Willusersbeabletouploadtheirown[user]generatedcontent?
•Willusersbeabletoaddtheirowncomments?
Thenconsider:
•Howwillyouengagewiththeusers?
•HowwillyouprotecttheRTÉbrand?
•Doyouneedadditionalmoderation?
•Doyouhavethenecessaryresourcestoparticipatesuccessfully?
Tone of VoiceWeshouldbeawareoftheexpectationsofthoseuserswhoarealreadyinvolvedwiththird-partysocialmediasites.IfweaddanRTÉpresencetoathird-partysite,wearejoiningtheirsite;usersarelikelytofeelthattheyalreadyhaveasignificantstakeinit.WhenaddinganinformalRTÉpresencetoathird-partysite,operatea‘wheninRome’approachandbesensitivetoexistingusercustomsandconventions.AvoidgivingtheimpressionthatRTÉisimposingitselfonacommunityofusersanditsspace.
RespectthefactthatusersonsiteXarenotourusersandthattheyarenotboundbythesameTermsofUseandguidelinesasweapplyatRTÉ.Attemptstoenforceourrulesonthird-partysitesmayleadtoresentment,criticismandinsomecasesoutrighthostilitytoRTÉ(SeenoteonModerationandHouseRules).
Behaviourlikelytocauseextremeoffence(racistandsexistinsults,forexample)shouldnotbetoleratedbyRTÉoronanRTÉ-brandedspacewithinasocialnetworkingsiteandoffendingcommentsshouldberemoved.Neithershouldbehaviourthatislikelytoputyoungpeopleatforeseeableriskorharmbetolerated.(Refertosection1.12Children&YoungPeople).Wherewedointervene,wewilldosoresponsiblyandsensitivetoexpectations.
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Friends/Follows/LikesWhenusingsocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications)youmaywantto‘like’apageonFacebookor‘follow’anaccountorindividualonTwitter,butrememberthata‘like’ora‘follow’maymakeotherusersthinktheyaremoretrustworthy–itcanbeseenasanendorsementbyyouorRTÉ.
IfyouhaveanydoubtsaboutwhetheryoushouldfollowanaccountonTwitteror‘like’apageonFacebook,don’t.
Sites,groupsoraccountsmaychangefromaseeminglyinnocuousgroupintopornorgamblingspammers,sokeepaneyeacrossyourinteractions.
Allmaterialassociatedwiththesocialmediaaccount(Classification1&2)beitcontent,friends,followersetc.areownedbyRTÉ.
Tweets/RetweetsWhenusingsocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications)alwaysconsiderthepossibleimplicationsofthecontentthatyouareabouttopost.CoulditreflectbadlyonyouorRTÉ?Ifso,don’tpublish.
RemembertheconstraintsandobligationsyoucarryonRTÉ’sbehalfasastaffmemberorcontractor.RetweetingapostbyanRTÉcolleagueoranRTÉheadlineisunlikelytobeaproblem.Insomecases,however,you’llneedtoconsidertheriskofretweetingthird-partycontentasitmayseemlikeanRTÉendorsementoftheoriginalauthor’spointofview,productorprogramme.
Allsocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications)shouldstatethatretweetsdonotmeanendorsements.Wherepossible,ashorteditorialaheadofaretweetshouldbewrittentoexplainwhyyouareretweeting.
Posting Video and AudioAllvideoandaudiorecordingsmadeforthepurposeofuploadingonOfficialServiceAccountsand/orOfficialProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)aretobeproducedtothehighestqualityandstandardsasapublicbroadcaster.
WhenpostingRTÉcontentonsocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications),checkanyandallrights,clearancesandcopyright/trademarkpermissionshavebeenobtained.IfunsureyoushouldreviewcontractswiththerelevantlinemanagertoensurethatRTÉhasthenecessaryclearancefortherightsinthecontentyouareabouttopublish.
Alwaysusealinktovideo/audioclips.Donotembed(thiscansometimescauserightsissues).
Noself-produced,behind-the-scenesvideooraudiocanbeuploadedonanysocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications)withoutpriorapprovalfromtheprogrammeproducer.
No‘reveals’ofprogrammecontentorstory-linesarepermittedaheadoftransmissiondatesorpublicitystrategytimelines.
Linking to Video and AudioWhenusingsocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications)donotlinktovideoandaudiopoststhatcouldbringyouorRTÉintodisrepute.Bemindfulofgeneralstandardsofdecency,appropriatelanguageandcontent.
Linking to RTÉ ContentRTÉ’sstrategyistofocusonengagingwithusersonthesitestheyvisit,intheconversationstheyarehaving,aswellasdirectingtoadditionalinformationandcontentonthevariousRTÉoutputchannels.SomeusersmaycurrentlyconsumelittleornoRTÉcontentandthisprovidesawayforthemtodiscoverthedepthandbreadthofwhatwehavetooffer.OnOfficialServiceand/orProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)itisessential,therefore,tolinkbacktoRTÉinsomemanner(e.g.RTÉOne,rte.ie,RTÉ2fm,etc.).
If,forexample,youlinkuserstoRTÉ.ie,theymaysubsequentlyconsumemoreRTÉcontentonoursiteby,say,accessingprogrammesontheRTÉPlayer.
If,however,itbecomesnecessarytolinktoothersocialnetworkingormicrobloggingsites,thisshouldclearlybeforeditorialpurposes.Thisshouldalwaysbethecasewhenreferringtoanyexternallinks.
No ‘reveals’ of programme content or story-lines are permitted ahead of transmission dates or publicity strategy timelines.
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Onair,weshouldn’tonlynotatetheRTÉURLsbut,whenpossible,shouldalsohighlightourpresenceonthird-partysites.However,thisshouldbedonewhilemaintainingtheintegrityoftheRTÉbrand.IfyouneedadviceonwhatisacceptablecontactCentralCommunicationsandBrandDevelopment(JosephHoban,joseph.hoban@rte.ieorEmerBeesley,emer.beesley@rte.ie).
Content LabellingOnceyouhaveapprovedcontent(whetherRTÉ-producedcontentoruser-generatedcontent),itisimportanttoincludeashortlabelthatdescribeswhatthematerialis.Usersofthesocialmediaaccountshouldbeabletomakeaninformeddecisionaboutwhatcontenttheywishtoconsumebeforetheydoso.
YouTubeRTÉhasanumberofdesignatedYouTubechannels(RTÉ,RTÉRadio1,RTÉ2fm,RTÉlyricfm,RTÉRaidiónaGaeltachta)thatcanfacilitateshortclipsandextrafootagethatproducersmaywanttopostthroughanOfficialServiceorOfficialProgrammesocialmediaaccount(Classification1&2).
DonotstartaYouTubeaccountforanyRTÉprogramme,seriesorevent.EnsurethatindependentproducersdonotstartYouTubeaccountsorusetheirownexistingYouTubeaccountsforvideorelatedtoRTÉcontent.ContacttherelevantRTÉMarketing/RTÉPressofficetodiscussuploadingclipstotheRTÉYouTubechannel.Pleaseconsiderinadvanceofpublicationwhetheritwouldbeprudenttodisablecomments.
Soliciting Contributors or Programme ParticipantsAnyintentiontousesocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications)topromoteparticipationincontests,toseekthesubmissionofmaterialtoRTÉorforanyothercampaignthatrequestsuserinformation(e.gUserGeneratedContent)mustbepresentedtotherelevantlinemanagerinyourarea.
SuchparticipationneedstobemanagedconsistentwithRTÉ’spoliciesandguidelineslistedatthefrontofthisdocument.AfullproposaloutliningthereasonforrequestingthisformofparticipationneedstobesubmittedandthenapprovedbyyourLineManager.
Ifyouaresolicitingcontributorsandprogrammeparticipantsundertheageof18,orthroughanaccountaimedatchildrenandyoungpeople,refertosubsection1.12Children&YoungPeopleandRTÉ’sChildProtectionPolicywhichmustbecompliedwith.
1.7 Rights Issues & ClearanceAlldesignatedsocialmediaadministrator(s)mustbefamiliarwiththelegalguidedocumentsthatareavailableontheHub(http://hub.rte.ie/).Publishingonsocialmediaraisesthesameissuesaspublishingonmainstream/traditionalmedia;thussocialmediaadministrators/youmustbeaware/mindfulofissuessuchasdefamation,contemptandprivacyandcopyrightand/ortrademarkorotherintellectualpropertyrightsinfringement.
Makesureyouunderstand,andarecomfortablewith,thetermsandconditionsofthird-partysocialmediasitesbeforeuploadingRTÉmaterialorinvitinguserstouploaduser-generatedcontenttosocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications).ByuploadingRTÉcontent,itislikelythatweareagreeingtoandwillbeboundbythesite’sterms.
Make sure you understand, and are comfortable with, the terms and conditions of third-party social media sites before uploading RTÉ material.
12 Social Media Guidelines
•Ifyouwishtousecontentfromthird-partysocialmediasites,makesureRTÉhasobtainedthenecessaryrightsclearancetoanycontentpriortousingit.Ifindoubt,contactyourlinemanagerforconfirmation.RTÉispotentiallyliabletothesocialmediasiteitselfandtherightsholderofthecontentifmaterialispostedthatisnotcleared.
• IfyouwanttouseuploadedRTÉcontentfromotheroutputareas(e.g.RadioorTV),youshouldconsultwiththatprogrammetogetthepermissionsnecessarytofacilitatethis.
•Third-partysocialmediaplatforms’termsandconditionsoftenstatethatthesiteisforpersonaluseonly.Beaware,therefore,thatifyouusesuchasitetopromoteRTÉcontent,RTÉmaytechnicallybeinbreach.
•Thereisapossibilitythatthird-partyuserswilluseRTÉcontentandRTÉtrademarkswhichRTÉmakesavailableonthird-partysocialmediasites;whilethismaybeanacceptablerisk,RTÉcontentandRTÉtrademarksand/orbrandsshouldonlybepostedforaslongasnecessaryandberemovedoncetheyhaveachievedtheirpurposeonthethird-partysocialmediasite.
•Makesureyousetupallnecessaryprivacysettingsonsocialmediaaccounts(allclassifications)inordertomanagerisk.However,keepinmindthereisnoprivacyontheweb.
Protection and Intervention Allthird-partysocialnetworkingsiteshaveinstitutedvariousmeasuresforprotectingthemselvesandforinterveningincontentioussituations;thesearen’tstandardandcanchangefromsitetosite.RTÉOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)shouldneversetouttoduplicatetheseprocesses.
TherearesomecircumstancesinwhichRTÉwillneedtoplanandimplementanadditional‘lighttouch’intervention(e.g.toremovecommentspostedbyothersthatarelikelytocauseoffence).Dependingonthesituation,you’llneedtoworkouttheappropriateactionanddecideonhowthisactionshouldbedone,whoshoulddoitandwhen.Ifyouareunsurewhetherornotinterventionisnecessary,yourlinemanagerwilldeterminehowbesttomoveforward.
1.8 Crisis ManagementWhat’sasocialmedia‘crisis’?Forthesepurposes,itcanbeanythingfromaninaccuratepostbeingpublishedonasocialmediaaccounttoanaccountbeinghacked.
Managingtheincidentmaysimplybeacaseofdeletingapostpublishedinadvertently.Ultimately,itisbestnottotrytohidemistakesbutimportanttoonottogetdrawnintodiscussionsandargumentsonsuchissuesonsocialmediaplatforms.Usethesametonewhenrectifyinganyerrorthatyou’dusewhennormallypostingtothataccount.Don’tsuddenlybecomeveryofficialifyougenerallyusealight-heartedtone.Butbecarefulnottomakethingsworse!
Chooseyourwordscarefully;tonesometimesgetslostinwrittencommunication.Reactasquicklyaspossibleandtrytomoveonswiftly.Byreactingslowly,itmaylooklikeRTÉisignoringanissue,andthiscanbeinterpretedasatacitacknowledgmentofapotentiallyseriousincident.
Tryalsotocapturescreengrabsofthetweet/postingasevidenceofwhatpreciselywaspublished.
Thesocialmediaadministrator(s)ofOfficialServiceorOfficialProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)mustregularlymonitorsocialmediaplatformsforreactiontoprogrammesandpostingsandactpromptlytonegateanydamage.
Ifyouareconcernedaboutamistakeorincidentconsultyoursupervisor.Forseriousbreaches,alsoinformtherelevantthePressOfficesoastheyarefullyinformedshouldtheyneedtodealwithanymediaattentiontheincidentmayattract.
Whotocontactincaseofasocialmediacrisis:
Yourlocalcommunicationsmanager
or
JosephHobanHeadofCommunicationsandBrandDevelopment:0868128662
Choose your words carefully; tone sometimes gets lost in written communication.
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Messagingonsocialmediaplatformsduringacrisiscannotbecompletelycontrolled,butengagementandaquickresponsecancounteractinaccuraciesbeforetheybecomedamaging.
Followingconsultationwithyourlinemanageritmaybeadvisableforaseniorstaffmembertotweetortopostacarefullywordedmessageontherelevantsocialmediaaccount(Classification1&2)aftertheeventsoastoclarifytheincidentandtheoutcome,reachingouttothosewhoweremostactiveduringthecrisistoalertthemtothisfollow-up.
Twitterisarguablytheleastusefulsocialmediaplatformintheeventofacrisis,astweetersaremostlikelytospreadwhattheyseeonTwitterviaword-of-mouth.Facebook,blogsandforumsarealsomajorcommunicationplatformsusedbypeopletoexpresstheiropinions.Don’tneglecttheseinacrisis,thisisoftenwhereconversationsaroundacrisisarelikelytolinger.
Facebookpagescanbeunpublishedbyadministratorsofthepage;thisisatemporarymeasurethatallowspagestoberemovedfrompublicview.IfthesecurityofanOfficialService/ProgrammeAccount(Classification1&2)hasbeenbreached,requestingallthosewithaccesstotheaccounttologoutandchangingthepasswordmaybesufficient.
Ifthesestepsdonotwork,thenescalatetheissuetothesocialmediaplatformserviceprovidertorequestassistanceinsecuringtheaccount.
1.9 Exit StrategyItisimportanttohaveaclearplanfromthestartabouthowlongtheassociationbetweenRTÉandtheOfficialRTÉServiceand/orProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2),beitasite/profile/page,willlast.
RTÉ’spresencemaybetacticalanditmayeventuallybeadvisabletohandthepageovertothe‘community’;oritmaybesensibletoannounceclosuretoitsusersandthenshuttheaccountdown.
Itisincumbentonthesocialmediaadministrator(s)tomaintaintheaccountortoarrangeanexit.Aboveall,theaccountshouldnotbeneglected,carryingrisktoRTÉanditsbrand.
You’llneedtothinkaboutthesepotentialexitoptionsbeforetheaccountiscreated.Ifyouarehandingtheaccountover,itmaybenecessarytoremovesomeoralloftheRTÉtrademarksand/orbranding.NewaccountadministratorsshouldbeinstructedtokeepdisclaimersontheaccounthighlightingthatthisaccountwascreatedbyRTÉ,butisnowbeingrunbyacommunity.
Ifaprogrammeisnotenvisagedtoendurebeyondasingleseries,andnoobviousstrategicpurposecanbearguedforapresenceonsocialmediaplatforms,thenadedicatedsocialmediaaccount(Classification2)maynotbeworthwhile.OftentheRTÉwebsiteprovidesaplatformthatcanamplymeettheneedsofprogramme-makers(i.e.intermsofrecruitment,call-outs,castingetc).
IfanOfficialService/ProgrammeAccount(Classification1&2)doesexistandaprogrammewillbeoff-airforasignificantlengthoftime,i.e.morethanamonth,thenamigration/exitstrategyneedstobeimplemented.Thesocialmediaadministrator(s)shouldpublishapostthatdirectsfans/followerstoalternativeRTÉsocialmediaaccounts(Classification1&2)inordertoretainandsharethatfanbase.Ifnoregularpostsandmoderationareplannedduringahiatus,thatprogramme’ssocialmediastreamshouldbeclosedofftopostsandcommentsbyothersandperhapsunpublisheduntilsuchtimeasmoderationisreinstated.
ExitandmigrationplansonallOfficialService/ProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)mustbecommunicatedtoRTÉMarketingandCommunicationsdepartments.
1.10 NewslettersIfyouwanttodistributeregularcommunications(e.g.newsletter)toyourlistoffollowers,makesuretheyhavegivenexpressconsenttothereceiptofsuchmaterial.OnlyusethislistforinteractionsforthepurposeforwhichyouhaveobtainedconsentoryoumaybeinbreachoftheDataProtectionlegislation.
DesignofthesematerialsmustbeapprovedbyCentralCommunicationsandBrandDevelopment(JosephHoban,joseph.hoban@rte.ieorEmerBeesley,emer.beesley@rte.ie).
1.11 AdvertisingItiscommonlyunderstoodthatadvertisementswhichappearonRTÉ’sOfficialServiceorProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2)onthird-partysocialmediaplatformsareoutsideofRTÉ’scontrol,notconnectedwiththeorganisationoritsoutputandfallunderthethird-partysocialmediaplatform’sauthority.However,itisstillyourresponsibilitytokeepaneyeonthefullrangeofadvertisementsthatappearonRTÉ’sOfficialServiceorProgrammeAccounts(Classification1&2.)
Youshouldalertyourlinemanagerimmediatelyifunacceptableadvertisementsappear.
RTÉcontentuploadedtothird-partysitesbyRTÉshouldnotincludeanyadvertising.
1.12 Children & Young People AsoutlinedinRTÉ’sChildProtectionPolicy,achildmeansapersonundertheageof18years.Youngpeople,asperthesamepolicy,canberegardedaschildrenbetweentheagesof15and18yearsofage.AsmentionedearlierintheseguidelinesallstaffshouldbefamiliarwithRTÉ’sChildProtectionPolicy.
Staffshouldbesensitivetotheminimumagerequirementsondifferentsocialnetworkingsites,whichisoftensetat13years.Thisisintendedtopreventusersbelowtheminimumagefromregisteringforfullmembership
14 Social Media Guidelines
andthenbeingabletopublishonline.Buttheyalsogiveaclearindicationfromthesiteowneraboutwhattheownerconsiderstobeasuitableminimumageforcasualvisitors,eventhoughthesiteownermaynotbeabletoenforcethis.
Somesocialnetworkingsitesattractasignificantproportionofchildrenandyoungpeople,particularlythoseaged13andupwards.Thisisademographicwhichisclearlypronetoriskonsocialnetworkingsites.WhereanRTÉOfficialService/ProgrammeAccount(Classification1&2)isdirectedatchildrenandyoungpeople,thesocialmediaadministrator(s)forthataccountshouldensure:
•Communicationontheaccountisopen,clear,unambiguousandshouldbesuitableforthelikelyaudienceoftherelevantRTÉbrandorprogramme/strand
•RTÉcontentuploadedtotheaccountshouldbesuitableforthelikelyaudienceonthesocialmediaaccount(Classification1,2&3)
•User-generatedcontent,inspiredbyanRTÉcalltoaction,shouldbesuitableforthelikelyaudienceonthesocialmediaaccount(Classification1,2&3)andparentalconsentshouldbeobtained
•Socialmediaadministrator(s)who,throughthecourseofthemanagementofanaccount,receiveallegationsofabuseorwhobecomeconcernedaboutthewelfareofachildmustreportallsuchallegationsand/orconcernstoRTÉ’sdesignatedliaisonpersoninaccordancewithRTÉ’sChildProtectionPolicyandProcedures.
1.13 How to Deal with Abuse/TrollingAccounts (Classification 1) Operatorsoftheseaccountsshouldatalltimesrefrainfromreplyingtoabusivemessagesorengaginginexchanges.Ifaspecificgravethreatismadeagainstanyindividual,thisshouldbereportedimmediatelytothelinemanager,therelevantcommunicationsmanager,ortotheHeadofCommunications.
Accounts (Classification 2 & 3) Ifyouarethevictimofonlineabuse(intemperatemessagesthatmaybepersonallycriticalandcrudelyexpressed),itisbesttoignoresuchmessages.Ifhoweveryoureceiveamessage,postortweetthatyouconsideragravepersonalthreat,youmustreporttoyourlinemanager.
1.14 Product EndorsementsRTÉ’srevisedprogramme-makers’guidelinesandjournalismguidelinesareexplicitontheneedforeditorialintegrityandindependence.Inthisregard,administratorsofaccounts(allclassifications)mustneverknowinglyendorseaproductorserviceinreturnformonetarybenefitorbenefitinkind(forexample,agift).Endorsementscouldtaketheformofapromotionaltweet,alink,afavourableFacebookpostorotherrecommendations.
RTÉ’s revised programme-makers’ guidelines and journalism guidelines are explicit on the need for editorial integrity and independence.
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2.1 What is meant by Hybrid Personal/Personal Account?ThissectionreferstotheuseofsocialmediabyRTÉstaffandcontractorsofsocialmediaaccountswhichhavenotbeensetupormanagedbyRTÉ.
OutsideofofficialRTÉsocialmediaaccounts(Classification1&2),RTÉconsidersallothersocialmediaaccounts,ofstaffandcontractors,tobepersonalaccounts(Classification3&4).
RTÉrecognisesthatpersonalaccounts,particularlythoseofon-air/editorialstaff,arelikelytobeassociatedwithRTÉ,alikelihoodwhichincreasessignificantlyifthesocialmediaaccountisusedforworkpurposes;forexample,ifyoupostcontentrelatedtoyourpositioninRTÉoryouuseyouraccounttohighlightupcomingprogrammesorseries.
Indevisingacommonsense,practicableapproachtosocialmedia,consideringexistingusage,RTÉsplitstheclassificationofpersonalaccountsintotwocategories:
Class3 HybridPersonalAccountClass4 PersonalAccount
2.2 Hybrid Personal Accounts (Classification 3)Thisisapersonalaccountthatanon-airpresenter,reporterorotherRTÉstaffmember/contractoralsousesforworkrelatedmatters.Holdersofsuchanaccountmustcomplywiththeseguidelineswhenusingahybridpersonalaccountforalluse,including,withoutlimitation,personalandprofessionaluse.
RTÉacceptsthattheseaccountsmaybeusedlegitimatelyinconnectionwithRTÉbusiness,howevertheaccountremainstheresponsibilityoftheaccountowner.IfRTÉstaffandcontractorschoosetousepersonalsocialmediaaccountsforworkpurposestheyshouldobservethefollowing:
•YoushouldidentifyyourselfasanRTÉemployeeorcontractorintheprofile/biography
•YoushoulduseapersonalimageandnottheRTÉlogo
•Youshouldincludelanguagetoindicatethatsharedlinks,retweets,etc.,donotconstituteendorsements
•HybridPersonalAccounts(Class3)shouldcontainthedisclaimer:‘TheviewsexpressedaremyownanddonotexpresstheviewsofRTÉ’
Thisdisclaimershouldbedisplayedintheinterestsoftransparencyandmaintainingtrustwiththepublic.Itspurposeistoalertonlineuserstothepersonalnatureoftheaccount.However,notethatitdoesnotserveasprotectionandstaffandcontractorsareliablefortheiraccountsandareboundbytheseguidelines.RTÉcouldalsobevicariouslyliableforactsofitsemployees.Humorousorarchphrasingofthisdisclaimerisnotappropriate.
Note:Staffwithexistinghybridpersonalsocialmediaaccountsshouldretrospectivelyinformtheirlinemanageriftheaccountreferences‘RTÉ’intheaccountname.Ifyouwishtostartusingahybridpersonalsocialmediaaccount(Classification3),discussthepotentialrisksandconflictsofinterestwithyourlinemanager.
2.3 Personal Accounts (Classification 4)Apersonalaccount(Classification4)isasocialmediaaccountsetupbyanemployeeorcontractorofRTÉforpersonalmattersandcontainsminimalassociationbetweentheuserandRTÉ(example:apersonalFacebookpage).Nonetheless,theseaccounts,bynatureoftheowner’scontractualassociationwithRTÉ,areboundbytheseguidelines.
Ifyouoperateapersonalsocialmediaaccount(Classification4),youmaysaythatyouworkforRTÉinyourprofile/biographybutaccountsshouldthencontainthefollowingline:‘The views expressed are my own and do not express the views of RTÉ.’
(RTÉstaffshouldreadthisinconjunctionwithChapter7,Section6oftheRTÉStaffManual–RTÉ’sPolicyonthePersonalandPublicActivitiesofStaffaswellasAppendix5oftheRTÉCodeofBusinessConduct(Sections7&12).)
2.4 Ownership of RTÉ Content on Personal AccountsRTÉownstheIntellectualPropertyRightstoRTÉ-relatedcontentonHybridPersonaland/orPersonalAccounts(Classifications3&4).RTÉreservestherighttoinstructRTÉstaffandcontractorstodosuchactsasarenecessarytotransferownershipofsuchcontenttoRTÉ.RTÉreservestherighttoinstructRTÉstaffandcontractorstoremoveRTÉ-relatedcontentfromtheirhybridpersonaland/orpersonalsocialmediaaccounts(Classifications3&4).
RTÉreservestherighttoinstructRTÉstaffandcontractorstoremovecontentfromhybridpersonaland/orpersonalsocialmediaaccountswhichbringsRTÉintodisrepute(Class3&Class4).Failuretocomplywithinstructionsreferredtointhisparagraph2.3willbetreatedasadisciplinarymatterforemployeesandsubjecttothenormalcoursesofdisciplinaryaction.Contractorsmayhavetheircontractsterminated.
Principles & Practices Theprinciplesandpracticesoutlinedintheseguidelinesshouldbefollowed;howevertheseguidelinesdonotexistinisolationandareinformedbyotherrelatedRTÉpolicydocuments.Individualsshouldunderstandtheobligationsandconstraintsasemployeesandcontractors,aslaidoutinthe‘ObligationsandConstraints’sectionintheintroductiontotheseguidelines.
Section 2. Personal Social Media Accounts of RTÉ Staff and Contractors
16 Social Media Guidelines
Disrepute:Althoughactinginaprivatecapacity,youarestillapublicrepresentativeofRTÉ.DonotbringRTÉintodisrepute.
•Considertheconsequencesofwhomorwhatyouarefollowing
•Whenengaginginonlinedialogue,avoidpersonalattacksandinsults
•Donotpostlinkstoinappropriatematerial
Impartiality:RTÉstaffandcontractorsshouldbemindfuloftheneedforimpartialityandobjectivityatalltimes.
•Editorialstaffshouldnotstatepoliticalpreferencesorcompromisetheirimpartiality
•Editorialstaffshouldnotrevealtheirpersonalfeelingsorbiasoncurrentnewstopics
•Non-editorialstaffshouldconsidervery carefullyhowtheirviewsmightbeinterpretedinthecontextofRTÉ’soverallcommitmenttobalance,fairnessandimpartiality
Can You Use It?StaffshouldbeawarethatdisputesorcontroversyarisingfromcontentorimagesonRTÉaccountshavethepotentialtodamageRTÉandmayhavelegalimplications.Alwayscheckthetermsandconditionsoftherelevantsocialmediaplatform,forexample:Facebook–uploadedcontentremainsthepropertyofthepersonwhouploadedit.
The Legal Guide Documents Are Available Here:Legal Advice Note – Defamation and the Protection of Reputation http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Protection-of-Reputation-KF1.pdf
Legal Advice Note – Privacy Law http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Privacy-Law-Advice-Note-April-20121.pdf
Legal Advice Note – Contempt http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Contempt-of-Court-and-Court-Reporting1.pdf
Legal Advice Note – Copyright InfringementUseoftext,photographs,artisticworks,audioand/oraudiovisualcontentfromsocialnetworking/mediasharingwebsitesonRTÉservices.http://hub.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Use-of-Material-from-Social-Networking-Websites-on-RTÉ-Services1.pdf
Privacy & Confidentiality:Becarefulwithdetailsofyourprivatelifeandtheprivatelifeofothersincludingwithoutlimitationtheprivacyofusersonsocialnetworkingsites;thiscanaffectpublicperception.
•DonotcriticisecolleaguesorrevealconfidentialinformationofRTÉorthirdparties
•Donotcompromiseorrevealconfidentialsources
•RTÉStaffand/orcontractorsmustnotpostoriginalorinternalRTÉcopyuntilithasbeenfirstpublishedbyRTÉ
•Socialmediashouldnotbeusedtopromotepersonal/third-partybusinessinterests,withoutdeclarationofpotentialconflicts ofinterest
Staff should be aware that disputes or controversy arising from posts on hybrid pages have the potential to damage RTÉ and may have legal implications.
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RTÉrecognisesthatsocialmediaprovidesasourceformaterialwhichmaybeusedinthecourseofreportingastoryand/ormakingaprogramme
TheguidancebelowisparticularlyrelevanttoRTÉ’seditorialstaffsuchasjournalists,editors,producerswhouseinformationonsocialmediasitesinthecourseoftheirwork,butallRTÉstaffandcontractorsshouldbefamiliarwiththeguidanceoutlinedinthissection.
Thissectioncoverstheuseofmaterialfromallsocialmediaplatformsincludingbutnotlimitedto:
•Socialnetworkingsites(Facebook,Myspace,Linkedin)
•Micro-bloggingsites(Twitter)
•Blogs(includingcompanyandpersonalblogsaswellascomments)
•Videoandphotosharingwebsites(Flickr,YouTube)
•Forumsanddiscussionboards (Boards.ie,GoogleGroups,Yahoo!Groups)
•Onlineencyclopaedias(Wikipedia,Sidewiki)
3.1 Information Gathering and Source MaterialCareshouldbetakenwhenusingmaterialemanatingfromsocialmediasitesandstreams.Treatsourceinformationasyouwouldinformationfromanyothersource.Thereisneveranypresumptionofaccuracyuntiltheinformationischeckedandverified.
(GeneralguidanceisoutlinedbelowhoweverstaffshouldreadthisinconjunctionwithRTÉ’sJournalismGuidelinesandRTÉ'sProgrammeContentStandards)
Principles and Practices Accuracy:Canyouindependentlyverifythisinformationasaccurate?Ifnot,don’tuseit.
Can You Use It?:MaterialonwebsitesmaynotnecessarilyproducecontentthatcomplieswithIrishlawrelatingtodefamation,privacyorcontempt.Checkthetermsandconditionsoftherelevantsocialmediaplatform,forexampleFacebook,uploadedcontentremainsthepropertyofthepersonuploadingit.Ensureallrelevantclearancesareobtainedpriortopublicatione.g.copyright/trademarkclearance.
Attribution:Ifastoryoriginatesonlinefromasocialmediaorsource,itshouldbeattributedassuch.
Gathering Information:Saveanywebpagesorlinksusedinthecourseofresearchingastory.Tweetsandpostscanbedeletedbypostersandtheirexistencedenied.Tocounteractthis,savethematerialintheformofascreengrabasevidenceofitsinitialexistence.(PressCtrl+Alt+PrintScrn,whichcopiesthescreenimage;pasteintoPaint,whichisonallWindowsPCs,intheAccessoriesfolder.)
InthecaseofTwitter,lookatthenumberoftweetssentbytherelevantaccount.Examiningthenumberoftweetsandtheircontentwillgiveagoodidearegardingtheveracityoftheaccount.
Hoaxes & Spoofs:Bemindfuloftheexistenceofbogusaccounts.Manywebsitesandsocialmediastreamscontainbogusinformation(suchasspoofnewsreports).Somecampaigningandactivistsitesmimicthedomainnamesandlay-outsofofficialsourcesforthepurposesofsatireormisinformation.
OnlinesearchesshouldbecarriedouttoensurethatasocialmediaaccountontwitterorFacebookisunique.Iftherearetwoaccountspurportingtobefromthesameuser,thereisastrongpossibilitythatatleastoneoftheaccountsisafake.
There is never any presumption of accuracy until the information is checked and verified.
Section 3. Using External Social Media Platforms
18 Social Media Guidelines
Youshouldperformthoroughprovenancechecksbeforeusingmaterialfromwebsitesorsocialmediastreams.Checkthe‘AboutUs’sectiononwebsites,forinstance,ortheIPsearchengines(http://who.is/orsimilartoolsprovidedomaininformationsuchasdomainregistrar,status,administrativeandtechnicalcontactinformationfortheownerofanydomainname,IPandIPlocationinformation).
Twitteraccountsthathaveconsiderablyfewerfollowersthanarebeingfollowedshouldbetreatedwithextracaution.
Bias:Aswithanymedium,hiddencommercialorpoliticalagendascanshapesocialmediacontent.Checkinglinksfromawebsitecanoftenrevealpoliticalorcommercialaffiliations.
Out of Date Information:Eventrustworthysourcescancontainpagesthatarenotupdated.Alwaysuserecognisedsourcestocorroboratethatinformationfoundonlineiscurrent.
Privacy: Hugenumbersofindividualspostmaterial–includingpictures,audioandvideo–whichmayrevealinformationaboutthemselves.Thismaterialisgenerallyforthebenefitoffriendsandacquaintancesandtheuploaderretainsownershipofsuchmaterial.(Suchmaterialshouldnotbeusedwithouttheconsentofitsowner.)Abalanceneedstobestruckbetweenappropriateuseofmaterialthatanindividualmayhaveunthinkinglyputinthepublicdomainandrespectfortheirprivacyeveniftheyhavebecomepartofanewsstory.Ifindoubtaboutwhethertousematerialconsultyourlinemanager.
Always use recognised sources to corroborate that information found online is current.
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ItismandatoryandnowarequirementtosubmitthisformtotheIBDcommunicationsmanagerorcorporatecommunicationsbeforesetting upanyaccountintheclassificationonpage1(Class1or2).
Social Media Strategy Checklist
Programme/Channel/Content Area Name:
Why do you want to use social media?
What business objective is it linked to?
Note:RTÉDigitalofferingsshouldbediscussedbyeditorsintheearlystagesofthecommissioningprocess.ItisadvisedthatRTÉDigitalbeconsultedintheseearlystagesinordertodeterminethebestonlinepresenceforeachprogramme.
WhencompletingtheformbelowpleaseindicateN/Aifnotapplicable.
Pre-Launch Yes No Notes
1:WhichRTÉDigitalofferings toolsdoyouwanttouse?
Basicfactsheet AllprogrammeshaveafactsheetaslongasthereiscontentinthePressPack.InformationthatappearsonthefactsheetisbasedentirelyonthePressPackcontentandimages.
Thisgivesaprogrammesynopsisalongwithanimage.Thiscanbeexpandedtoincludeepisodicdetailsandabasicphotogallery,whichgrowsalongwiththeseries.ItincludestransmissiondetailsandalinktotheprogrammeontheRTÉPlayer.
TheFactsheetshouldbepublishedaboutaweekpriortotransmissionsotherecanbesomepre-promotionfromTVhomepage.
-Nodirectcost
Microsite Inadditiontothefactsheetfeatures(above),thispageoffersclickabletabssuchas:‘About’,‘Presenters’,‘ThisWeek’,‘Previous’,‘Links’,‘Contact’,‘AudienceTickets’,RTÉRadiolink.
Socialmedialinks/icons(Twitter,Facebook,YouTube,Flickr,Tumblr)canbeincludedaswellasaTwittertracker(basedonspecifichashtagortopics)andaFacebook‘Like’plug-in.
-Nodirectcost
Appendix 1. Social Media Account and Strategy Clearance Form, Classifications 1 and 2
20 Social Media Guidelines
Pre-Launch Yes No Notes
Fullwebsite Astand-alonewebsiteofferingexclusivecontent,distinctdesignandprogramme-specificbranding.
Designedin-house(e.g.MasterChefIreland)ordesignedbyexternalcompany(e.g.DirtyOldTowns).
Afullwebsiteisthemostinvolvedprojectandrequiressignificantdevelopment,editorialandproductioninput.
ThedecisiontoprovideafullwebsitepresenceisbasedonseveralfactorsintheRTÉDigitalProductionarea(e.g.lead-intime,volumeofworkinproduction,costetc.).
Ifproducersopttouseanexternalwebdesigner,RTÉDigitalMUSTbeinvolvedfromtheearlystagesofdesignconsultationsinordertoensurecompatibilitywithoursystems.
Programmesarelistedinthedrop-downmenupriortotransmissionorifthereispre-TXaudienceinvolvement.
-Additionalcosts
RTÉiD(onlylikelyforfullwebsite)
Userswillneedtosignuptojointhespecificcommunity(e.g.SuperGardencommunity)usingRTÉiD(simplysignupwithbasicinformationrequired). Oncetheyhavejoinedthecommunitytheycancreatetheirprofile,usethepersonalisationfeatures,comment,reviewanduploadcontent(currentlyonlyimages).
Pluckcommunityplatform PluckisanapplicationplatformavailableontheRTÉ.iewebsite.Itoffersrichcommunityfunctionalityincluding:
•Comments•Forums•Photo/videoupload•Ratings•Review•Reactions•Awards&badges•Personalprofilepages•Discovery&activityfeeds
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Pre-Launch Yes No Notes
PollDaddy PollDaddyisafreeplatformforpollsandsurveys.
Polls/surveyscanbeeasilyintegratedintotheprogrammewebsiteandcanofferdeeperuserengagementorfacilitatethecollectionofinformationthatcanbeusedintheprogramme.
PollDaddypollsofferlow-levelsecurityand,ingeneral,aren’tsuitableforcompetitionswherevoteshavetobestrictlycontrolled.
Pluckvotes,togetherwithRTÉiD,offerhigherlevelsofprotectionbutrequiremoreintegrationeffort.
PromotionalopportunitiesonRTÉ.ie:
• FeaturesonTelevisionhomepage– competingwithotherTVcontent
• HighlightsonTelevisionhomepage– competingwithotherTVcontent
•FeaturesonRTÉ.iehomepage–competingwithothercontentfromacrossalldivisionssoitisnotguaranteed
• HighlightsonRTÉ.iehomepage–competingwithothercontentfromacrossalldivisionssoisnotguaranteed
ThequalityofimagesandquantityofcontentwilldeterminetheamountofpromotionpossibleacrossRTÉ.ie.
-Nodirectcost
Newsletter Afacilitytosendoutanewslettertoalistofsubscribers.
Subscriberscouldberecruitedviaawebsite,mobileapp,Facebookpage,etc.
AnRTÉiDaccountwillberequiredtosubscribetoanemailnewsletter.Suitableforlongertermengagement.
Newsletterneedstobepersonalandofferanaddedvalueversusstandardupdatethatcanbepublishedontheprogrammewebpage.
-AdditionalCosts
2:Whichtoolsdoyouwanttouse?
Audioboo
Flickr
YouTube RTÉhasadedicatedYouTubechannelthatcanaccommodateclips(asopposedtofullprogrammes).Aspecificprogrammeplaylistcanbecreatedtoaccommodateyourshow,ifwarranted.
Other(pleasespecify)
22 Social Media Guidelines
Pre-Launch Yes No Notes
3:Canyoujustifyarealneedforyourcontent tobeinthesespaces?
4:Haveyoudoneanauditofotherthird-party sitesforyourstation/contentarea?
5:Haveyouresearchedothersimilarcontentthatmayalreadyexistwithinyourorganisation?
6:Haveyouresearchedhowotherbroadcastorganisationsareusingsocialmediaforthis typeoftask?
7:Haveyouconsidereddoingapilot,eitheraroundaparticulareventoraspecifictimeperiod?
8:Willyoursocialmediapresencehaveacrowd-sourcingcampaigntogetpeopletalkingaboutit?
9:Doyouhaveappropriatebrandinguse?
10:Haveyouthoughtaboutusername/passwordstorage?
11:Haveyouthoughtabouthowyouwillmeasuresuccess?Againstwhatcriteriawillyoubemeasuring?
12:HaveyouconsideredwhetheryouneedtoprovideforobtainingrequiredconsentsunderDataProtectionlegislation?
13:HaveyouensuredcompliancewiththeChildProtectionPolicyifrequired?
Day-to-Day Running Yes No Notes
1:Whowillhaveoveralleditorialresponsibilityfortheseaccounts?
2:Whowillhaveday-to-dayresponsibilityforkeepingtheaccountsupdated?
3:Doyouhaveastyleguidethatoutlinesappropriateandinappropriatetoneandstyle?
4:Howoftenwillyoupostcontent?
5:Whattypesofcontentwillyoupost?Howwillyoukeepitinteresting?
6:Dostaffknowhowtousesmartphonestocreateandsendcontent?
7:HowwillyoumanageFacebookorblogcommentsandtaggedrepliesoutofofficehours?
23
Building Community Yes No Notes
1:Howwillyouencouragepeopletobecome‘friends’or‘followers’inthefirstinstance?
2:Ifyou’reusingTwitterorAudioboo,willyoufolloweveryonebackthatfollowsyou?
3:Howwillyoushowtheaudiencethatyouvaluetheirinput?
4:Howwillyouintegratesocialmediaactivityintoyourlinearprogramme?
5:Howwillyoudirectyouraudiencetoallotherplatformsandhowoften?
Measurement Yes No Notes
1:Haveyougotaregisteredbit.lyaccountandlinkedyoururlshortenertotweetdeck?
2:DoyouknowhowtouseFacebookInsightsandbit.ly?
3:Whowillcollectscreengrabsandcasestudies?
4:Whowillwritemonthlyreportsanalysingdata?
Reputation Management Yes No Notes
1:Arethosemanagingyouraccountsseniorenoughandexperiencedenoughtomanagenegativeandseriouscomments?
2:Howwouldyoumanageaseriousmistakeorattack?Doyouhaveablogyoucouldpostinresponse?
3:HaveyoucontactedyourPublicity/Commsrepresentativeaboutplanningastrategyforhandlingsuchanevent?
Closure/Exit Strategy?
1:Howwillyoualertfollowersthatyoursiteisclosing?(Suggestpublishingaclosingupdate,explainingwhyandwhen?Saythanksaswell.)
2:WhoownsthefollowersonTwitter?
24 Social Media Guidelines
Any other notes:
Notes about the style and tone of your account:
25
Itismandatoryandnowarequirementtosubmitthisformtoyourlinemanagerbeforesettingupanyaccountintheclassification1,2or3category,orifyoualreadyhaveanaccount.
Social Media Clearance
Name:
Are you a member of staff?
Are you a contractor?
If you have an account, what is the URL or handle?
IhavereadtheStaffandOutsideActivitiessectionoftheStaffManual
Ihaveaddedthefollowinglinetomyaccount:‘TheviewsexpressedaremyownanddonotexpresstheviewsofRTÉ.’
IunderstandtheconstraintsandobligationsIundertakeonbehalfofRTÉwhenoperatingthisaccount
Ihavereadandunderstandthesocialmediaguidelines
Appendix 2. Declaration Form re Class 1, 2 or 3 Account
26 Social Media Guidelines
Therearemanywaysthatyoucanintegratesocialmediaintoyourshow.Belowaresomeexamples.
YoumaywishtoviewthepresentationbyTwitter’sDanBiddle,whichisavailableontheRTÉHub.
However,itisadvisedthatyoumeetwithCommunicationsbeforeyougointoproductiontoexplorewhatapproachbestsuits.
Call Outs and Information ForallcalloutsandgeneralinformationusetheofficialFacebookandTwitteraccounts.
To Generate Content UseTwitterandFacebooktoaskviewersfortheirideasforcontent(bestguests,questionsforguests,jokes,opinions,topicsetc.).Theadministratorontheaccountneedstomanagethisandmoderateresponses.
To Build Characters and DramaIfthepresenter/characterinyourprogrammedoesnothavehis/herownsocialmediaaccount,theremaybeacaseforsettingupaspecificsocialmediaaccountfortherunoftheshow.Blogsarealsoagoodoptionhere.
To Generate Discussion around Your ProgrammeViewersareincreasinglyusingTwittertoconnectwitheachotherastheycommentonaTVshowwhilethey’reviewing.TogenerateTweetsaboutyourshow,useverbalcalloutsandonscreenstraps(detailsbelow)andthehashtagforyourshoworthehashtagforaparticularquestione.g.#elev8or#whatIwoulddoor#dothisfirst
Competitions and GiveawaysThisisagreatwaytobuildfollowersandcanbeanidealmatchforshowswithmerchandisetodistribute.OfferingprizesandrunningcompetitionsthroughFacebookandTwitterwillbuildviewersaroundaparticularshow,oraparticularideafeaturedinashow.PleasecontacttheRTÉCompetitionsteamtodiscussappropriateTerms&ConditionsandanyplansforgiveawaysunderanRTÉ-brandedaccount.
Exit Strategy ItisimportanttohaveaclearplanfromthestartabouthowlongtheassociationbetweenRTÉandthesite/profile/pagewilllast.
Ifasocialmediastreamdoesexistandaprogrammewillbeoff-airforasignificantlengthoftime(morethanamonth)thenamigration/exitstrategyneedstobeimplemented.DiscussthiswiththeMarketingandCommunicationsDepartmentspriortosettingupaccounts.
It is important to have a clear plan from the start about how long the association between RTÉ and the site/profile/page will last.
Appendix 3. Social Media and Your Show
27
Appendix 4. RTÉ Branding on Facebook and Twitter
FacebookandTwitteraccountsshouldonlybesetupfollowingapprovalfromtherelevantlinemanagerandfollowingpermissionfromtheMarketingandCommunicationsdepartmentsand/ortheSocialMediaCo-ordinator.Allaccountsshouldbesetupasstand-aloneandnotthroughindependentproducers’corporatepages.LoginandpassworddetailsmustbeforwardedtotheCommissioningEditorandRTÉTelevisionPressOffice.Theseshouldnotbechangedwithout24hours'notificationtotherelevantRTÉcontactsandshouldneverbechangedduringtransmissionoftheprogrammewithoutpriorconsultationwithRTÉ.
4.1 Facebook4.1.1. Naming an AccountRTÉmustappearinthenameofALLsocialmediaaccounts.
Thepreferredstyleis:RTÉ/NameofShow.RTÉshouldalsobementionedinthedescriptionandthepageshouldalsocarryfulltransmissiondetails.IfusingFacebooktoofarinadvanceastobeaccurateontransmissiondetails,contacttheTVPressOffice.IncludethenameofthebroadcastchannelandincludethecorrectcorporatebrandingofRTÉOneandRTÉTwo(andnotRTÉ1andRTÉ2).Includeawebsiteurlatthetopofthedescription.
OnceaFacebooknameisestablishedandyoupass100‘fans’,thenamecannotbechanged,sothisMUSTbedonecorrectlyattheoutset.
4.1.2 Account DescriptionThecoverphotoandprofileimageontheaccountshouldalwaysbeofficiallyapprovedbyRTÉandthecoverphotoshouldfeatureanRTÉlogo.Logoscanbeaddedusingbasicphotomanipulationprogrammes(Gimpisfreetodownloadandissimpletouse).Becarefulwhenaddinglogostoensurethepositioningisappropriateanddoesn’tinterferewiththebrandingoftheprogramme.Approvedprogrammelogosandassociatedimagescanbeobtainedfromtherelevantcommunicationsdepartmentorhttp://www.rte.ie/branding/user/print/print_eps_serviceslogo.html
4.1.3 House RulesAsectionon‘HouseRules’shouldalsobeincludedontheinformationpage.Thisisusefulinthemoderationofcomments.
Suggestedwording:‘Weencouragefansof[Programme]toleavecommentsonthispage.However,wewillreviewallcommentsandremoveanythatwedeeminappropriateoroffensive.Wewillleavewhatyousharethatrelatestothesubjectscoveredonthispage.Wereservetherighttoblockuserswhoviolatethese"HouseRules".Commentspostedunlessotherwisestateddonotrepresenttheopinionsof[Programme],[ProductionCompany]orRTÉ.’
4.2 Twitter4.2.1. Naming an Official RTÉ AccountRTÉmustappearinthenameofALLClass1and2socialmediaaccounts.Theaccountnameisrestrictedinlengthto20characterspaces,sobearthisinmindevenattheearlieststagesofyourpre-production.Planstohaveabigsocialmediapresencemayfalldowniftheaccountnamedoesn’ttransferproperlyontotheseplatforms.
Thepreferredstyleis:RTÉ/NameofShow,withthehandle[@].ForExample:RTÉFairCity[accountname],@RTEFairCity.
ThefadaistobeusedinallreferencestoRTÉbutthefadacannotbeusedinthehandle(@),andshouldn’tbeusedinhashtags.Inthesecases,leaveoutthefada.
4.2.2. HashtagsWhendecidingonahashtag,chooseonethatisorganicandsimple.OnlyincludeRTÉinthehashtaginordertodifferentiatefromaprogrammeofthesamenameonanotherchannel(e.g.Don’tTellTheBride–#rtedttb;BBCThreeuses#bbcdttb.TheVoiceofIreland–#rtethevoice;BBCOneuses#thevoiceuk).
4.2.3. Account DescriptionRTÉshouldbementionedinthedescription,aswellasfulltransmissiondetails(includethechannel–withcorrectbrandingofRTÉOneorRTÉTwonotRTÉ1orRTÉ2).Youonlyhave160characters,sotrytobesnappy.Useintelligentabbreviationsanddon’tusetextspelling.Thisdescriptioncanbechangedatanytime,especiallyifyouwanttogivedifferentemphasiswhiletheprogrammeisinproduction,initspromophase,duringtransmissionandalsopost-transmission.Includeawebsiteurlinthesectionforthatlink.
4.2.4. AvatarsOnlyRTÉapprovedofficialphotosorartworkshouldbeusedasavatarsandtheyshouldpreferablyincludetheRTÉlogo(channelspecific).
Servicelogosshouldbestacked.PleaserefertoCommunicationsandMarketingforguidanceandapprovalofartwork.
Examplesofserviceartwork:
Raidió Teilifís Éireann, Donnybrook, Dublin 4T: 01 208 3111 F: 01 208 3080
www.rte.ie
today, tomorrow, together.
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