RTÉ Social Media Guidelines · 2019-07-24 · 2.4 Ownership of RTÉ content on personal accounts 15 Section 3. Using External Social Media Platforms 17 3.1 Information gathering

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.


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.


1.4 RTÉ Branding(SeealsoRTÉbrandingonFacebookandTwitter–Appendix4.)

TheRTÉBrandmaynotbeusedwithoutpermissionandconsultation.PermissiontouseanyRTÉbrandmustbesoughtbeforethelogoisusedfromEmer Beesley, Corporate Marketing Manager, [email protected].

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.


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,[email protected],[email protected]).

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.


•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,[email protected],[email protected]).

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


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


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.

17

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


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



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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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

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YouTube RTÉhasadedicatedYouTubechannelthatcanaccommodateclips(asopposedtofullprogrammes).Aspecificprogrammeplaylistcanbecreatedtoaccommodateyourshow,ifwarranted.

Other(pleasespecify)



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?

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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?


Any other notes:

Notes about the style and tone of your account:

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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


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

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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.

today, tomorrow, together