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Where content sign -off isn't required, communications or other guidelines usually direct staff in <br />the city's standards and expectations for acceptable and unacceptable website communications. <br />Social media largely is perceived as a less formal method of communication. Cities that are using <br />social media to communicate official city- sponsored messages should be managing that official <br />social media content in much the same way it manages the city newsletter or web site. <br />Because of the prevalence of social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter — all accessible <br />through an Internet connection —city employees may be participating in social media on a personal <br />level, which could mean they occasionally make a post about their work. <br />Social Media Considerations <br />Because social media are relatively new, understanding of liability issues only now is beginning to <br />emerge. Cities should be mindful that any forays into social media — whether as an official voice of <br />the city, voice for elected officials or as personally used by staff —could create an embarrassing <br />situation for the city. In some instances, the city could face legal challenges if incorrect, false or <br />non - public information is posted on a site used officially <br />by the city or personally by employees or elected <br />officials. In other settings, the city may face data requests <br />that could include content posted to social media sites on <br />city and /or personal computers, depending upon who and <br />where content was posted. <br />Before considering social media use as a tool for city <br />business, a city should weigh benefits against risks. <br />Answering the following questions will help set a course <br />for identifying who should speak for the city, when the <br />city wishes to use social media, where it wants to engage, <br />and more. <br />Is social media different than the city website? Yes. The <br />city website functions as an official voice of the city. <br />Often, city websites include formal communication about <br />city events, projects, policies and ordinances. City <br />websites primarily are one -way forms of communication <br />where cities "push" information out to the public, and <br />websites rarely offer opportunities to directly comment on <br />information on the site. Most sites offer email addresses <br />for visitors to send comments to. <br />Learn More <br />Read more about risks related to <br />electronic communications <br />between council members, social <br />media and cities, and more in the <br />following materials from the <br />League: <br />Developing a Computer Use <br />Policy <br />Electronic Communications <br />Between Council Members <br />Managing Your City's Electronic <br />Records <br />Complying with the Minnesota <br />Government Data Practices Act <br />These items and more are at in <br />the Resource Library of <br />httn: / /www.imc.org <br />Social media can be used as an official voice of the city, but it's different. Social media can be <br />accessed simply, through the Internet. One of the primary goals of social media is to encourage <br />two -way communication. Information shared in a social media setting typically happens in real - <br />time. Social media information is "pulled" by followers. Simply put, in social media people choose <br />who they want to connect with by deliberately "following" or "friending" them. The act of <br />following someone on a microblogs or friending someone on FaceBook means that when they visit <br />their accounts, they will see information posted by the people, groups and organizations they <br />Page 2 of 12 <br />58 <br />