§ XXI. Social media use policy, standards and procedures.

A.

To address the fast-changing landscape of the Internet and the way residents communicate and obtain information online, City of Fort Smith (city) departments may consider using social media tools to reach a broader audience. The city encourages the use of social media to further the goals of the city and the missions of its departments, where appropriate.

The city has an overriding interest and expectation in deciding what is "spoken" on behalf of the city on social media sites. This policy establishes guidelines for the use by city employees of city social media sites and communications by city employees concerning work-related issues as set out in the provisions herein on "personal use of social media by city employees."

The phrase "city social media sites" means an internet site created and/or owned by the City of Fort Smith for the purposes, as set forth in this policy, of communicating or disseminating information to the public or one which may be used and/or viewed by the public as a means of obtaining information from the city. Such city social media sites include but are not limited to Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, online forums, message boards, or other internet sites now existing or which may exist hereafter.

1.

General provisions.

a.

As a public entity, the city must abide by certain standards to serve all its constituents in a civil, non-discriminatory and unbiased manner.

b.

All city social media sites are intended to be "family friendly," so please keep comments clean by following the rules set forth below. In addition to keeping all content family friendly, the city requires all users to follow the city's posting guidelines here. Please note that the city utilizes Facebook's automatic content filtering feature. All content on city social media sites is subject to monitoring.

c.

All city social media sites posted by departments will be subject to prior approval by the city administrator or the communications director.

d.

The city's websites (fortsmithar.gov, gisapps.fortsmithar.gov, fortsmithparks.com, etc.) will remain the city's primary and predominant internet presence.

e.

The intended purpose behind establishing city social media sites is to disseminate information from the city, about the city, to its citizens and other interested persons. The most appropriate uses of social media are as informational channels to increase the City's ability to broadcast its messages to the widest possible audience.

f.

Social media will not be the primary tool used for disseminating emergency information. The Blackboard Connect system will remain the primary source of that information. Emergency information may be released on city social media sites, but not before release on the Blackboard Connect or other emergency information systems.

g.

Wherever possible and applicable, content posted to the city's social media sites will also be made available on the city's website.

h.

Wherever possible, content posted to the city's social media sites must contain hyperlinks directing users back to the city's official website for in-depth information, forms, documents or online services necessary to conduct business with the city.

i.

As is the case for city's websites, departmental public information staff will be responsible for the content and maintenance of any social media sites their department may create. Departments shall monitor their social media sites for comments requesting responses from the city and for comments in violation of this policy.

j.

All city social media sites shall comply with all appropriate city policies and standards, including but not limited to:

i.

City of Fort Smith Human Resource Policies Manual, 2011 version, Section XX: Information Security, pages 84—94, and any amendments thereto.

ii.

City of Fort Smith Strategic Technology Plan & IT Governance Policy, February 2016, and any amendments thereto.

iii.

Any exceptions shall be approved by the director of information and technology services (ITS) and/or the communications director and subject to prior review by the city administrator.

k.

City social media sites shall comply with Fort Smith Ethics and Elections Code and administrative rules.

l.

City of Fort Smith Social Media Sites are subject to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Any and all content posted on a city social media site, including a list of subscribers may constitute a public record subject to disclosure. The department maintaining the site is responsible for responding completely and accurately to any public records request for public records on social media; provided, however, such requests shall be handled in collaboration with the city attorney's office. Content related to city business shall be maintained in an accessible format so that it can be produced in response to a request (see the city's Facebook, Twitter and video posting standards). Wherever possible, such sites shall clearly indicate that any articles and any other content posted or submitted for posting are subject to public disclosure. Users shall be notified that public disclosure requests must be directed to the relevant department's director or designee.

m.

Arkansas state law and relevant city records retention schedules apply to social media formats and social media content. Unless otherwise addressed in a specific social media standards document, the Department maintaining a site shall preserve records required to be maintained pursuant to a relevant records retention schedule for the required retention period on a city server in a format that preserves the integrity of the original record and is easily accessible. Appropriate retention formats for specific social media tools are detailed in the City of Fort Smith Twitter, Facebook and video posting standards.

n.

Users and visitors to the city's social media sites shall be notified that the intended purpose of the site is to serve as a means of communication between city departments and members of the public. Articles, posts and comments on the city's social media site that contain any of the following forms of content shall not be allowed and shall be removed as soon as possible:

i.

Profane language or content;

ii.

Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation;

iii.

Sexual content or links to sexual content;

iv.

Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity;

v.

Information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;

vi.

Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party;

vii.

Comments in support of, or in opposition to, any political campaigns or ballot measures;

viii.

Solicitation of commerce, including but not limited to advertising of any business, service, or product for sale or lease;

ix.

Conduct in violation of any federal, state or local law;

x.

Content that violates a legal ownership interest, such as a copyright or trademark of any party;

xi.

Harassment or content which constitutes and/or facilitates stalking;

xii.

Content which violates the right to privacy;

xiii.

Encouragement of violence;

xiv.

Repetitive content;

xv.

Comments which may reasonably interfere with, inhibit, or compromise law enforcement investigations, police tactics, police responses to incidents and/or the safety of police staff and officers; or

xvi.

Posts or comments that contain any external links.

The city shall post a disclaimer to all users that the city disclaims any and all responsibility and liability for any materials that the city deems inappropriate for posting, which cannot be removed in an expeditious and otherwise timely manner.

o.

These guidelines must be displayed to users or made available by hyperlink. Any content removed based on these guidelines must be retained, including the time, date and identity of the poster when available (see the city's Twitter, Facebook and video posting standards), in accordance with the city's policy on the retention of such information.

p.

The city reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that is deemed in violation of this policy or any applicable law.

q.

The city will approach the use of social media tools as consistently as possible, enterprise wide.

r.

All new social media tools proposed for city use will be approved by ITS and the city administrator's office.

s.

A comment posted by a member of the public on any city social media site is the opinion of the commentator or poster only, and publication of a comment does not imply endorsement of, or agreement by, the City of Fort Smith, its governing body, or any of its employees, nor do such comments necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the City of Fort Smith, its governing body, or any of its employees.

t.

The City of Fort Smith reserves the right, at any time and without prior notice, to deny access to city social media sites for any individual who violates the City of Fort Smith's Social Media Policy.

u.

Official city responses and comments on city social media sites should be limited to the city administrator, department director and/or the employee(s) specifically assigned to the duty of handling the specific social media page of the city.

v.

Comments posted to city social media sites will be monitored and inappropriate content as defined above will be removed as soon as possible and without prior notice. Please note, comments posted to the city's facebook page are monitored and the city's Facebook setting will automatically hide a comment if profanity is used within the post.

w.

When a City of Fort Smith employee responds to a comment, in his/her capacity as a City of Fort Smith employee, the employee's name and title should be made available, and the employee shall not share personal information about himself or herself, or about other city employees.

x.

If you need to contact either the Fort Smith Police or Fire Department, please call their respective front desk at [phone] (police department) or [phone] (fire department), or if it is an emergency, call 911 to ask for assistance. While comments posted on the city's Facebook page are monitored, posting a comment is neither the recommended nor best way to contact the city, the Fort Smith Police Department, or the Fort Smith Fire Department.

y.

By posting or commenting on city social media sites, you agree to the city's terms of use. You participate by your own choice, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information you provide therein.

2.

Procedures.

a.

Administration of the city's social media sites.

i.

ITS will maintain a list of social media tools which are approved for use by city departments and staff.

ii.

ITS will maintain a list of the city's social media sites, including login and password information. The department's director or designee will inform ITS of any new social media sites or administrative changes to existing sites.

iii.

The city must be able immediately to edit or remove content from social media sites.

iv.

For each social media tool approved for use by the city the following documentation will be developed and adopted:

A.

Operational and use guidelines.

B.

Standards and processes for managing accounts on social media sites.

C.

City and departmental branding standards.

D.

Enterprise-wide design standards.

E.

Standards for the administration of social media sites.

F.

Social media standards.

v.

The following social media tools have been approved by the city and standards have been developed for their use:

A.

Twitter — Twitter Standard.

B.

Facebook — Facebook Standard.

C.

Video — Video Posting Standard.

The use of other sites must be pre-approved by ITS and the city administrator or designee.

b.

Twitter standard. Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that allows account holders to tweet up to one hundred forty (140) characters of information to followers. By procuring and maintaining Twitter accounts, city departments will communicate information directly to their Twitter followers, alerting them to news and directing them to the city's website for more information. These standards should be used in conjunction with the city's social media use policy, standards and procedures.

i.

Content.

A.

A department's director or designee shall hold and maintain that department's Twitter account.

B.

Each department will have only one (1) Twitter account, unless approved by the communication manager. Account information, including usernames and passwords, shall be registered with ITS.

C.

A department's Twitter biography and/or background information will include a link to city's website where the following disclaimer information will be posted:

"This is an official City of Fort Smith Twitter account. For more information about the City of Fort Smith, please visit www.fortsmtithar.gov. This site is intended to serve as a mechanism for communication between the public and the department on the listed topics and as a forum to further the mission of the department. Any direct tweets to this page and its list of followers may be considered a public record and is subject to disclosure pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Public information requests must be directed to the Communications Manager."

D.

Twitter usernames shall begin with "FortSmith" (e.g., @FortSmithPD, @FortSmithFire and @FortSmithMgr, etc.). In cases where the username consists of too many characters, begin with "FS."

E.

The main image shall be the department logo or an appropriate photo. It may also be the city's logo which will be provided by the communications manager or designee. If the city logo is not used as the main image it should be in the background section.

F.

Twitter accounts shall serve three (3) primary purposes:

1.

Disseminate immediate interesting or important information to residents of which a news item on the city's website is not necessary or possible.

2.

Promote city-sponsored meetings, events, programs and facilities.

3.

Refer followers to a news item or content hosted at the city's website and the department's Facebook page.

G.

Information posted on Twitter shall conform to the existing protocols of the city and the department that is posting the information. Tweets shall be relevant, timely and informative.

H.

Twitter content, as much as possible, shall mirror information presented on the city's website and other existing information-dissemination mechanisms. The department's director or designee shall ensure that information is posted correctly the first time.

I.

Departments will use proper grammar and standard AP style, and will avoid the use of jargon and abbreviations. Twitter is more casual than most other communication tools, but communications must still best represent the city at all times.

J.

The department's director or designee shall be responsive to those constituents who communicate via Twitter's @reply or direct message functions. Communication with followers will be timely and consistent with existing protocols.

ii.

Archive.

A.

The department's director or designee will maintain an electronic record or printout of any information necessary to retain for the purposes of public records retention in accordance with applicable city policy regarding retention of such information that is not available from the application.

c.

Facebook standard. Facebook is a social networking site that continues to grow in popularity and functionality. Businesses and government agencies have joined individuals in using Facebook to promote activities, programs, projects and events. This standard is designed for city departments looking to guide traffic to department websites and to inform more people about city activities. These standards should be used in conjunction with the social media use policy and video posting policy. As Facebook changes, these standards may be updated as needed.

i.

Establishing a page.

A.

Whenever a department determines it has a business need for a Facebook account, it will submit a request to the communications manager or designee. Once approved, ITS will work with the department to create a basic page for the department. Applications are not to be added to the city's Facebook site without the prior express written approval of ITS. The department's director or designee will register the page with a city email address. Personal Facebook profiles should not be used to administer city pages unless approved by the communications manager or designee.

ii.

Type of "pages."

A.

The city will create "pages" in Facebook (not "groups"). Facebook "pages" offer distinct advantages including greater visibility, customization and measurability.

iii.

Format.

A.

For 'type' description, choose "government."

B.

The main image shall be the department logo or an appropriate photo. It may also be the city's logo and the city logo must be one of the profile pictures.

C.

Departments will include a mission statement or appropriate text in the introduction box on the wall page.

D.

Using the Facebook Markup Language (FBML) static page application, a boilerplate section should contain a department/program description and the following:

"This is an official Facebook page of the City of Fort Smith. For more information about the City of Fort Smith, please visit www.FortSmithAR.gov. This site is intended to serve as a mechanism for communication between the public and the department on the listed topics and as a forum to further the mission of the department. Any comment submitted to this page and its list of fans may be considered a public record which is subject to disclosure pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. Public information requests must be directed to the Communications Manager."

E.

If comments are turned on, the FBML page shall also include a comment policy box with the following disclaimer:

"Comments posted to this page will be monitored and inappropriate content will be removed as soon as possible. Under the City of Fort Smith Social Media Use Policy, Standards and Procedures, the City reserves the right to remove inappropriate content, including, but not limited to, those items that: have obscene language or sexual content; threaten or defame any person or organization; make derogatory reference or disparage based on ethnicity, gender, religion, or lifestyle; violate the legal ownership interest of another party; promote illegal activity; and promote commercial services or products. The City disclaims any and all responsibility and liability for any materials that the City deems inappropriate for posting, which cannot be removed in an expeditious and otherwise timely manner."

F.

The page shall be linked to the city's Facebook page.

G.

A link to www.FortSmithAR.gov will be included on the info page.

H.

City department and project pages should be fans of other city Facebook pages.

I.

The page name must be descriptive of the department. Each department will choose the page name carefully with due consideration given to abbreviations, slang iterations, and proper grammatical usage.

a.

The communications manager or designee will approve proposed names.

iv.

Page administrators.

A.

A successful page requires consistent attention. The department's director will designate one (1) or more staff members as page administrators who will be responsible for monitoring the department's Facebook page. Only designated department staff members will make posts.

B.

The department's director or designee will be responsible for ensuring content is not stale. The department's director or designee will designate one (1) or more back-up administrators.

v.

Comments and discussion boards.

A.

Comments to the wall generally will be allowed if the department is able to and does regularly monitor content. If the department is unable to do so, comments to the wall shall be turned off. Discussion boards shall be turned off unless approved by the communications manager or designee.

B.

All comments posted to any City of Fort Smith Facebook site are bound by Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities and Community Standards, located at www.facebook.com/terms.php and www.facebook.com/communitystandards, respectively. The City of Fort Smith reserves the right to report any violation of Facebook's Statement of rights and responsibilities and/or community standards to Facebook with the intent of Facebook taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.

vi.

Photos and video.

A.

Page administrators may add photos and videos to the department's Facebook page. The approval of the city administrator and/or the communications manager will not be required. If there are postings of photos and/or videos of the public, staff must secure waivers by individuals depicted in the photo and/or video. Photos and/or videos of the city's employees taken during regular office hours may be posted without obtaining waivers. Videos must follow the video posting standard.

B.

The ability for fans to post photos, videos and links shall be turned off unless approved by the communications manager or designee.

vii.

Style.

A.

The city's and the departments' Facebook pages will be based upon a template that includes consistent city branding.

B.

ITS will provide departments and offices with the template.

C.

Departments will use proper grammar and standard AP style, and will avoid the use of jargon and abbreviations. Facebook is more casual than most other communication tools, but communications must still best represent the city at all times.

viii.

Applications.

A.

There are thousands of Facebook applications. Common applications can allow users to stream videos and music, post photos, and view and subscribe to RSS feeds. While some may be useful to the page's mission, they can cause clutter and security risks.

B.

An application must not be used unless it serves an appropriate and valid business purpose, adds to the user experience, comes from a trusted source, and is approved by ITS.

C.

An application may be removed at any time if the city administrator or ITS director determines that it is possibly causing a security breach or spreading viruses.

xix.

Archive.

A.

The department's director or designee will maintain an electronic record or printout of any information necessary to retain for the purposes of public records retention in accordance with applicable city policy regarding retention of such information that is not available from the application.

d.

Video posting standard. The city will enable access to online video content, as this is the way many residents communicate and obtain information online. Key objectives for video content shall meet one (1) or more of the following goals: To further the department's mission, provide information about city services, showcase city and community events and explore city issues. The city encourages the use of video content to further the goals of the city and the missions of its departments, where appropriate. These standards should be used in conjunction with the city's social media use policy, standards and procedures.

i.

Video posting guidelines.

A.

The department's director or designee will be responsible for approving the video content.

B.

Video quality must be comparable to DVD resolution quality.

C.

Low quality video will be considered as long as the audio portion is clear and the content is compelling and informative.

D.

All approved videos must be posted on the department's website and the department's Facebook page.

E.

The department must secure a disclaimer from the author or owner or the right to use all of or part of a video if the video was not produced by the department or any other city department.

F.

Videos streamed from other sources may not be posted to the city's website. Links to external videos are permitted, but it must only be used when content is relevant and necessary approvals are received.

ii.

Submitting videos to hosting sites.

A.

Videos may be submitted to hosting sites such as YouTube and Vimeo as well as Facebook on a case-by-case basis under the direction of the department's director or designee.

B.

Most of these sites limit the video to the lesser of ten (10) minutes in length or less than one (1) GB of data storage.

C.

Comments posted to these sites must be monitored or the ability to post a comment shall be turned off. Comments must adhere to the guidelines stated in the social media use policy.

iii.

Archive.

A.

Any video posted to a third party's video site must also be posted to the department's website for purposes of records retention.

3.

Personal use of social media by city employees.

a.

Employees are free to express themselves as private citizens on social media sites on issues of general or public concern (as opposed to personal work-related issues) to the degree that the speech does not impair or impede the performance of any employment duties, including the speaker's duties; disrupt the workplace or regular operations; impair discipline by superiors; cause disharmony among coworkers; impair other working relationships; show discourtesy to or demonstrate disrespect to any member of the public; interfere with the effective and efficient fulfillment of the city's responsibilities to the public; or undermine public confidence in the posting employee, other city employees, or the city.

b.

Employees should primarily use the city's electronic communications systems and equipment for business-related purposes. While occasional personal use of social media websites is permitted, such use should be limited to times when the employee is not required to be performing any duties for the city, when the use will not conflict with the use of the systems or equipment by any employee who desires to use it for business purposes, and may not in any event be used in a manner contrary to any of the provisions of this policy or any other policies that cover electronic communications or workplace technology.

c.

Employees should not expect that anything that is sent or received using the city's electronic communications systems and equipment is the employee's private property. In fact, it belongs to the city. Employees should not have any expectation of privacy with respect to those communications, whether communicated via social media sites or otherwise. The city may, from time to time, as it sees fit, monitor, review, intercept or gain access to communications employees initiate or receive on the city's electronic communications systems and equipment. Employees' use of the city's systems will constitute express consent to such monitoring, reviewing, interception or access. The city may, but has no requirement to, provide notice, either before or after any review of communications.

d.

City employees are cautioned that their speech either on or off duty, and in the course of their official duties that has a nexus to the employee's professional duties and responsibilities may not necessarily be protected speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or under the Constitution of Arkansas. Such speech may form the basis for discipline if the speech is deemed detrimental to the city's operations.

e.

Employees shall not post, transmit, or otherwise disseminate any information on social media to which they have access as a result of their employment or assignment without prior written permission from their department head or his/her designee or the city administrator.

f.

Employees may not use social media in connection with or to support any business ventures other than those of the city while using city owned or controlled property/resources.

g.

Regardless of any privacy settings on various social media platforms, social media is not private. Information becomes public the moment it is published on the Internet. Assume that co-workers and members of the city's management will see anything and everything posted online, and act accordingly.

h.

To the extent that an employee identifies himself/herself as a city employee on social media, or if an employee discusses matters related to the city on social media, employees must add an obvious and prominently displayed disclaimer stating that he/she does not express the views of the city and the employee is expressing only his/her personal views. An example of such disclaimer is: "The views expressed on this website/blog/social media account are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the view of my employer." The disclaimer must be placed in a prominent position and repeated for each posting that is expressing an opinion related to the city or the city's business. Employees should be mindful that, if they post information on a social media site that is in violation of the city's policies and/or federal, state, or local laws, the disclaimer will not shield the employee from disciplinary action.

i.

Any employee violating this policy may be subject to discipline up to and including possible termination. As with any other policy, procedure, or requirement applicable to the employee, the city is not required upon violation of the policy to allow events to unfold and disrupt the city's workplace before taking action.

(Ord. No. 22-18, 4-3-18)