SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Church of the Living God (C.W.F.F.)

Social Media Policy

Draft: 07/19/24

 

 

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      Policy Purpose:

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1 The purpose of this national Social Media Policy is to provide guidance, protocols,

 

2 instruction and parameters regarding how our organization’s national representatives

 

3 should conduct themselves when engaging on social media platforms. The Social Media

 

4 Policy has been created to protect this organization from possible litigation as well as

 

5 the organization’s online reputation, integrity, public image and brand status.

 

 

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      Social Media Definition:

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6 The church defines social media as (but not limited to) any form of blog, journal,

 

7 personal website or any social working network or chat-room. The policy applies to all

 

8 online and mobile platforms for sharing content and information, whether hosted by

 

9 the national church organization or hosted by others. “Social Media” refers to social

 

10 networking services, short-message services, message boards, wikis, podcasts,

 

11 image/video sharing sites and other methods for sharing real time information among

 

12 users. Due to ever-changing speed of social media, this policy applies to all new social

 

13 media platforms, whether or not they are mentioned. All social media platforms are

 

14 relevant and included.

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      Scope of Social Media Policy:

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15 The policy governs: nationally appointed personnel and their recognized staff and

 

16 volunteers as well as all nationally appointed or licensed individuals. These individuals

 

17 are tasked with the responsibility for properly representing the organization’s core

 

18 religious values and overall public image when engaging on social media platforms. This

 

19 group shall be referred to as “national representatives.”

 

20 The national church recognizes that we may not be able to prohibit national

 

21 representatives from posting personal opinions and content on private accounts.

 

22 However, we expect our national representatives to understand that their private posts

 

23 can have a very public impact. Consequently, the national church does expect all

 

24 national church representatives to uphold the highest level of Christian etiquette and

 

25 self-respect in both their private and national church related social media postings.

 

26 Failure to adhere to the national church’s social media policy may result in disciplinary

 

27 action.  

 

 

      Social Media Positions:

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28 The national church currently employs a social media manager(s) who are responsible

 

29 for the creation, implementation, upkeep and management of all of the national social

 

30 media materials and its regular maintenance, growth, and development. Individuals

 

31 from this group will be tasked with the responsibility for monitoring all national

 

32 operated platforms for any infringement of the national church’s Social Media Policy.

 

33 All material of any kind must be approved by the national social media department prior

 

34 to being posted on any of the national church’s platforms.

 

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      General Social Media Policies:

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35 National Representatives are responsible for properly representing the national, district

 

36 and local temples in a manner that upholds our core religious beliefs, overall public

 

37 images and national branding. The following list various guidelines and protocols related

 

38 to this matter.

 

39 National Representatives must avoid posting and/or sharing offensive, inflammatory

 

40 and/or slanderous content or information about church related matters, church

 

41 members, the local church, the district or the national organization and its

 

42 representatives.

 

43 National Representatives must avoid using social media platform as a vehicle to publicly

 

44 address individuals or other national, district or local church bodies that may have

 

45 offended them in some way. If someone has been offended by a brother or sister, the

 

46 offended party should consider speaking with them privately. National Representatives

 

47 should not post offensive statements publicly. Avoid public arguments.

 

48 Do not try to settle scores on a public social media forum whether private or nationally

 

49 managed. Such behavior only serves to display negativity.

 

50 When not sure how to respond, National Representatives should avoid responding at

 

51 all. When some one has posted something mean, rude, distasteful or obscene, always

 

52 take the “high-road.” Avoid addressing such matters on a public forum. In such matters

 

53 that involve national social media sites, simply inform the Social Media Manager, or a

 

54 national officer of the situation.

 

55 National Representatives must avoid publicly addressing, commenting or responding on

 

56 any social media platform in any way that would give the appearance that they are

 

57 responding, commenting or in any wise speaking on behalf of the “national” church. The

 

58 national church has prepared specific spokespersons to represent the national

 

59 organization in such matters.

 

60 National Representatives must void posting any political statements, or outside

 

61 advertisements from other organizations on any of the national social media platforms.

 

62 When a national representative is posting something on a private site that they might

 

63 consider “questionable,” then the representative may state: “all posts do not reflect the

 

64 views of the Church of the Living God (C.W.F.F.)” This type of disclaimer would be

 

65 helpful but may not prevent other disciplinary actions.

 

66 When posting pictures or videos of themselves or others, national representatives are

 

67 asked to post videos or pictures of themselves and others that are considered tasteful

 

68 and appropriately represent Christian values.

 

69 Posting pictures or videos depicting, displaying or encouraging the consumption of

 

70 alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or any illegal substances is considered inappropriate conduct

 

71 on the part of any national representative.

 

72 National Representatives are solely responsible for the content published on their

 

73 online platform, including content posted by other parties on the national

 

74 representative’s personal social media platform.

 

75 National Representatives must be mindful of pictures or videos that others may be

 

76 capturing and posting that may present them in a less than favorable light regarding the

 

77 social media policies of this organization. A national representative may still be held

 

78 responsible for unacceptable material of them that has been posted by another party on

 

79 another social media platform.

 

 

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      Youth and Children

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80 Social media communication between National Representatives and minors is an

 

81 extremely important issue. When national representatives are communicating with

 

82 minors on social media, national representatives must keep their Christian image in

 

83 mind at all times. All online conduct, comments and behaviors have the potential to

 

84 greatly harm the national church’s integrity, Christian image and put the national church

 

85 in legal jeopardy.

 

86 National Representatives are not to accept any invitation from a minor to “friend” or

 

87 any invitation to join a minor’s personal networking or social media platform.

 

88 Social contact outside of the national social media platforms may create serious risks for

 

89 the national representative and negatively alter the dynamic between a national

 

90 representative and the minor youth. Consequently, no adult may ever join a minor in

 

91 any private communication such as chat rooms, private messages, or private emails. All

 

92 communications must be conducted on an open forum, mass mailing or mass

 

93 communication platform.

 

 

      Disciplinary Actions

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94 The following are examples of actions that may warrant a disciplinary response.

 

95 Posting inappropriate content or subject matter on national and/or personal social

 

96 media platforms.

 

97 Posting offensive or slanderous comments or engaging in negative argumentative

 

98 behavior that demeans other local, district or national members or presents the

 

99 national, district or local church in a potentially unfavorable light.

 

100 Each offence of any social media policy violation will be thoroughly investigated by the

 

101 Social Media Management Team before any disciplinary actions are taken. Disciplinary

 

102 actions may include: reprimand, written warning and or other disciplinary actions as

 

103 outlined in our church’s constitution.