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7 Reasons Every Government Agency Needs a Social Media Policy

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By
Andrew B. Einhorn



The popularity of social media across many different demographic groups has allowed for an unprecedented level of openness and connectedness, which also provides substantial opportunities for “good government.” By using inexpensive and widely accessible social media platforms, government agencies can engage and communicate with a citizenry eager for conversation in ways previously impossible or impractical.

However, employee use of social media is not without risk. In the absence of a formal, institutionalized policy on social media communications, there is a very real possibility of the rapid spread of misinformation, unauthorized leaks of classified or sensitive material, and damaging off-the-cuff interactions that can cause public relations nightmares. To many people, a government agency’s social media accounts are the voice of the agency now. These accounts — whether on Facebook and Twitter or other smaller platforms — are critical to maintaining a credible dialogue with citizens. Establishing a clear, defined social media policy is critical to maintaining an accurate, useful, and productive conversation with the public.

Based on a review of how agencies at all levels and branches of government have responded to recent critical events and controversies that involve social media, this paper offers 7 reasons why every government agency should have a social media policy.

Reason 1: Social Media Poses Risks to Agency Operational Security
“Loose Tweets can sink fleets”

Social media’s emphasis on“sharing” is inherently at odds with most military operations, which rely heavily on secrecy and closely-guarded knowledge. Yet social networks are an unavoidable and indispensable reality for the military, which leverages social media for communications among commanders, service members and their families, recruits, and the general public. The challenge for military leaders is how to exploit the benefits of social media without compromising operational security, which could put lives at risk.

The leaking of classified or sensitive information via social media by military and defense personnel is not uncommon. In 2010, Ministry of Defense employees in the United Kingdom leaked sensitive information via social networking sites sixteen times over eighteen months. That same year, Israeli Defense Forces cancelled an operation in the West Bank because a soldier posted details about the time and place of the raid on Facebook.

Commanders have responded by formulating policies that govern how military personnel may use social media. These policies delve deep into specifics, as even small oversights can lead to significant consequences in a highly networked world.

In 2010, the Pentagon lifted the ban on social media use, but the Department of Defense still imposes fairly strict regulations on posts by service members. The U.S. Army’s Social Media Handbook includes a detailed outline of how soldiers should use social media. For example, soldiers are instructed to turn off the GPS function on their smart phones. They are also advised to avoid “geotagging” their posts —a feature that automatically or manually adds location information — to avoid revealing clues that may disclose their whereabouts. Soldiers are also encouraged to carefully review photos and videos before posting them online.

Government agencies involved in intelligence, diplomacy, homeland security and criminal investigations face challenges similar to the military with respect to social media sharing and operational security.

Reason 2: Like It Or Not, Social Media Accounts Are The Voice of Your Agency
“Was that in the Times? … No, I read it on Facebook”

In the effort to inform citizens, government agencies generate a lot of front-page news, produce a lot of paper, and send a lot of mail. These longstanding methods of communicating have been supplemented — even supplanted — in recent years by social media, which enables faster, cheaper and more direct connections with the public. Many agencies have begun the transformation to a more nimble public affairs model that leverages the advantages of social media, but few have made the leap entirely.

This is dangerous ground for agencies, as the public (including the news media) now expects to be able to find official government information on social media. Any agencies that are still treating their Facebook, Twitter and other social accounts as untended gardens will face an increasingly frustrated constituent base. People expect fresh, accurate, authoritative information from the government accounts they follow. Often, they turn to Twitter before turning on the news. Agencies that haven’t solidified a policy on how they will use social media for reaching and interacting the public are at risk of being overwhelmed by these new expectations.

At the moment, one Twitter account of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, @CDCemergency, has more than 1.3 million followers. Credibility and accuracy are crucial to the mission of the CDC, and this must translate to the agency’s social media postings, which have become a primary channel for the agency’s communications with the public. It does, thanks to an institutionalized policy. A key component of the CDC’s policy is a specific, tightly-regulated social media guide, which includes a detailed process for tweets that usually have to be approved by standard clearance channels. The policy also takes into account the serious and provocative nature of some of the CDC’s work, noting that posts about a “controversial” topic may need to be cleared by the media relations office.

Credibility and trust are critical to maintaining an effective dialogue with the public. Delegating front-line communications to inexperienced employees or interns can be risky. (Even feeding interns “pre-approved” material only gets the organization so far, as simply posting pre-approved content defeats a key strength of social media: the quick response time and personal tone.) In an ideal world, comprehensive training and a clear policy would be part of any delegating of social media responsibilities to junior staff. But the reality is communications staffers are often set loose and expected to learn on the fly, leaving policy guidelines as the only real direction they have. Agencies that lack a detailed social media policy are at a distinct disadvantage, especially if any sort of PR crisis were to erupt.

Now that social media is the quickest and, often, the most productive way of communicating with the public, agencies need to recognize that what they say on these platforms is treated as official. A comprehensive policy that covers the strategy and tactics of social media communications will help this new agency“voice” remain mission-focused.

Reason 3: Anyone Can Use (and Abuse) Social Media
“We are ALL communicators now”

The traditional model of public affairs in government agencies had been to keep tight control of outgoing communications. Typically, only high-level officials and designated publicists were authorized to speak on behalf of an agency. Often these representatives had the benefit of media training and years of experience in knowing what to say and how to say it. More importantly, they knew what not to say.

Social media has disrupted this model, by giving anyone with a Facebook or Twitter account an easy mouthpiece for reaching the public. At a government agency, still only a few may be authorized to speak to the media or issue press releases — yet the vast majority of employees now use social media to broadcast information about their lives and work. A significant number self-identify as an employee of a particular agency or the U.S. government. Even among those who don’t disclose their place of employment, enough public information exists online (via LinkedIn and other directories) that virtually anyone using a real name can be linked to his or her government workplace.

Put another way, every agency now has a cadre of unofficial communicators who are not trained or closely controlled. This is a scary proposition for agency leaders. While much of what these employees are posting to Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and other sites is harmless and unrelated to agency duties, any post has the potential to be a land mine.

The best defense that agency leaders have is a thorough policy on the proper use of social media. The policy needs to explain who is authorized to be the social media “voice” for the agency and what precautions non-authorized employees should take in their postings to avoid erroneous tweets, inappropriate Facebook updates, and general unprofessional communication with the public.

A 2011 report by the Altimeter Group that detailed the rise of social media crises noted that “companies with a policy in place are more likely to have employees who know how to safely represent the brand in social media: 62% compared to 23% of companies that did not.” The report also lists a lack of a formal policy and internal education as prime factors in social media crises.

No matter who manages an agency’s social media presence, all employees are potential spokespersons, for better or worse. Having a clear and established social media policy will help reduce communication blunders, and minimize damage if they do occur.

Reason 4: Mistakes, When They Happen, Will Go Viral
“The cover-up is always worse than the crime”

Artfully managing a public relations crisis can be difficult, and social media has only increased the speed, visibility, and damaging effects of bad publicity. In November of 2011, a Kansas high school student named Emma Sullivan tweeted some unkind things about Governor Sam Brownback. Brownback’s staff hastily and clumsily responded to Sullivan, and before they knew it, the politician found himself in the middle of a full-blown public relations nightmare.

Brownback’s staff responded unprofessionally to Sullivan’s tweet (which went out to a very small number of people). It should have been ignored, or at least managed more maturely. A thought-out, measured response may have even been well-received by Sullivan and her friends. Instead, the embarrassing Twitter feud went viral and became national news.

Crucial to the management of any social media crisis is reacting quickly, but not hastily. Agencies with a social media policy that enables both speed and openness are best positioned to weather any storm. Lessons can be drawn from the private sector: When Toyota came under fire for faulty accelerator pedals in some vehicles, the resulting recall was initially a PR disaster for the company. But Toyota chose an interesting and innovative approach to managing the crisis: it confronted the bad press directly using social media. President Jim Lentz appeared on a 28-minute interactive chat where he answered questions presented by the online community Digg. This made the company seem not only willing, but eager to address concerns about the safety of Toyota vehicles.

The sharing-centric landscape of social media ensures that if negative information exists, it will get out. And if it gets out, it will spread quickly. Agencies must prepare for the worst by creating a social media policy that gives their official communicators the power to share openly and act quickly.

Reason 5: Social Media Has Life-and-Death Consequences
“When disaster strikes, people turn to Twitter”

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