INI Social Media Policy (Revised August 26, 2021)
Introduction
Independent understands that social media can be a fun
and rewarding way to share your life and opinions with family, friends and
co-workers around the world. However, the use of social media also presents
certain risks and carries with it certain responsibilities. To assist you in
making responsible decisions, we have established these guidelines for
appropriate use of social media.
Part I provides general social media guidelines for
all employees to consider, while Part II pertains specifically to our working
journalists and those in the newsroom required to maintain public standards
that mirror our Newsroom Guidelines pertaining to purposeful neutrality,
respect, civility and accuracy. Part III provides helpful advice on using
social media in the newsroom.
Part I: Social Media Guidelines for All Employees
In the rapidly expanding world of communication, social
media can mean many things. Social media includes all means of
communicating or posting information or content of any sort on the Internet,
including to your own or someone else’s web log or blog, journal or diary,
social networking, web bulletin board or a chat room, whether associated or
affiliated with Independent or some other individual or organization, as well
as any other form of communication.
The same principles and guidelines found in
Independent’s People Values and the company’s other basic values apply
to your activities online. Ultimately, you are solely responsible for what you
post online.
Before creating online content, consider some of the
risks and rewards that are involved. Keep in mind that any of your conduct that
adversely affects your job performance, the performance of your team members or
otherwise adversely affects members, customers, suppliers, people who work on
behalf of Independent’s legitimate business interests may result in
disciplinary action up to and including termination.
We ask all employees to consider following these
guidelines:
·
Be respectful - Always
be fair and courteous to your team members, customers, members, vendors or
people who work on behalf of Independent. Also, keep in mind that
work-related complaints or issues are best handled by speaking directly to your
co-workers or team leaders, or by using our internal “Speak Out” policy –
instead of posting complaints to a public social media platform.
Nevertheless, if you decide to post complaints or criticism, avoid using
statements, photographs, video or audio that reasonably could be viewed as
malicious, obscene, threatening or intimidating, that disparage customers,
members, associates or suppliers, or that might constitute harassment or
bullying. Examples of such conduct might include offensive posts meant to
intentionally harm another employee’s reputation or posts that could contribute
to a hostile work environment based on race, sex, disability, religion, or any
other status protected by law or company policy.
- Be clear statements expressed
belong to you – and you only. Never represent yourself as a
spokesperson for Independent. If Independent is a subject of the
content you are creating, be clear and open about the fact that you are an
employee and make it clear your views do not represent those of
Independent or people working on behalf of the company. If you
do publish a blog or post online related to the work you do or subjects
associated with the company, make it clear that you are not speaking on
behalf of Independent.
·
Using
social media. Do
not use Independent’s email addresses to register on social networks, blogs or
other online tools utilized for personal use.
Inappropriate postings that violate Independent’s
People Values, include discriminatory remarks, harassment, threats of violence
or similar inappropriate or unlawful conduct that can create a hostile work
environment will not be tolerated and may subject you to disciplinary action up
to and including termination.
PART II: Social Media Guidelines for the
Newsroom/Journalists
Today’s journalists use social media daily as useful
reporting and promotional tools. In addition, use of Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and other social media platforms are useful reporting and promotional
tools.
As journalists who work for a company that prides
itself on purposeful neutrality and on a thoughtful set of shared values, we
should recognize that we are always representing, or appear to be representing,
our news organization.
A momentary lapse in judgment – whether it be made in
haste, anger or satire – that leads to a post you later regret can do serious
damage to your credibility as a professional journalist, not to mention the
trust and respect readers have for our company. A worthy reputation built over
decades can easily be wiped out by one ill-advised social media post.
Consider first the following points, taken from our
Employee Handbook:
◼
We regard publishing a newspaper and material on our websites as a public
trust. As servants of the public, we owe the public candor and honesty
regarding our performance. This fact requires we disclose our own conflicts or
potential conflicts of interest.
◼
Independent's staffers are citizens, too. Many of them want to be involved in
the community beyond their duties as employees. However, staffers are expected
to avoid situations that might damage our company’s reputation for neutrality.
This is difficult to measure, and it is one of those situations in which rules
cannot be substituted for judgment.
◼
The amount of community involvement that might be undertaken without damaging
the company’s reputation for purposeful neutrality may vary, depending on a
wide array of factors. The type of community involvement is obviously a factor:
voting in an election is clearly not a conflict; running for a political office
obviously would be. What might be a conflict for a member of the news staff
might not be for a staffer in some other department. Yet at a small office,
high-profile involvement in the community by any staff member might cause
readers to question the company’s neutrality.
◼
Independent's people share a desire to protect the newspaper's reputation.
Good-faith discussion, reasonable self-management by individuals, and
occasional disclosure in the newspaper itself, should allow for a reasonable
amount of civic involvement by individuals without damage to the newspaper's
reputation.
In keeping with these practices, Independent’s
newsroom employees should follow these suggestions for using social media.
Newsroom Social Media Policies
◼
In social media posts, our journalists must not share their opinions on public
issues, political views, elected officials or candidates, or share any comments
that may damage the newspaper’s reputation.
◼
As our journalists are providing unbiased reporting on issues, we must always
be cautious not to take sides.
◼
The guidelines extend to every department of the newsroom.
◼
Keep in mind that your professional and personal life may be hard to
differentiate online. Don't write or post anything that would embarrass
Independent Newsmedia, one of our newspapers or websites, or compromise your
ability to do your job. The old newsroom adage related to print also pertains
to social media: “When in doubt, leave it out.”
◼
Assume that all your posts and comments on social media are public.
◼
When communicating with others in your role as a journalist, identify yourself
as a staff member of our company.
◼
Do not trust comments or sources collected via social media. Verify the
information by phone or in person whenever possible.
◼
Carefully consider your connections. Whom you “friend” or “follow” may give
readers a perception of bias.
◼
Never air complaints with customers or sources of the newspaper on social
media.
◼
We discourage customer service complaints about businesses on personal social
media pages. These may be misinterpreted as journalists being given special
consideration.
◼
Adhere to our company’s values about treating others with courtesy and respect.
Be thoughtful and open to criticism when a reader criticizes your work in
social media forums. In some cases, it may be best to refrain from responding.
◼
Alert your team leader whenever you feel threatened by someone on social media.
◼
Our priority should be posting news to our website unless the situation demands
the immediacy of social media. Almost all social medias should direct readers
to our website content.
◼
As representatives of our company, try to share our stories and reporting
whenever possible and appropriate, but avoid sharing opinionated commentaries
or letters.
◼
Avoid sharing news content from competing media.
