Purpose
The City of Whitehall is dedicated to fostering open and effective communication with residents through social media platforms. This policy outlines the guidelines for public engagement on our official social media channels, ensuring a respectful and constructive environment while protecting the integrity of our communications. Policy
Social media has become a powerful tool for communication and information dissemination. The City uses these platforms to share information about local services, projects, events, and to engage with the community. Social media supplements traditional public information methods, such as public meetings and newsletters, by providing an instant opportunity for dialogue with residents. Official City Use
The City’s social media channels serve to:
• Be the trusted voice on City-related issues
• Educate the public about services and projects
• Relay important safety messages and alerts
• Encourage citizen participation
• Respond to inquiries and comments in a timely manner
• Share relevant information from partner agencies
• Enhance relationships with the news media
An official City social media account is defined as any account created or maintained by the City that represents it as a whole, a City department, program, service, or event, using official City branding and content. This does not include personal or professional accounts like LinkedIn. Public Engagement
When interacting with the City of Whitehall on social media, please adhere to the following guidelines:
• Relevance: Comments should be relevant to the topic being discussed.
• Language: Profane, obscene, or offensive language is prohibited.
• Discrimination: Content that promotes or perpetuates discrimination based on race, creed, color, age,
religion, gender, marital status, national origin, public assistance status, disability, or sexual orientation is not
allowed.
• Defamation: Posts that defame or disparage City employees, officials, or residents are prohibited.
• Sexual Content: Sexual content or links to sexual content is not allowed.
• Commercial Content: Solicitation of commerce or advertisements is prohibited.
• Illegal Content: Posts that promote illegal activities or content are not allowed.
• Safety and Security: Content that compromises public safety or security is prohibited.
• Accusations: Accusations or implications of criminal conduct or immoral activity are not appropriate. Complaints against the City or its employees should be addressed through appropriate channels rather than
social media.
• Personal Information: Do not post personal identifiable information, such as Social Security numbers or
private contact information of City employees.
• Legal Compliance: Content must comply with all federal, state, and local laws, and must not violate legal
ownership rights of others. Enforcement
The City reserves the right to remove posts or comments that do not adhere to these guidelines and to block users who repeatedly violate our policy. Disclaimer
The following disclaimer applies to all City-maintained social media sites:
• Comments must be relevant to the discussion topic.
• Profane language, discrimination, defamation, sexual content, commercial content, and illegal activities are
prohibited.
• Content should not compromise public safety or security, contain personal information, or violate legal
rights. Emergency Postings
Social media accounts are not monitored 24/7. In case of emergency, please contact 911. Public Record
All content posted on official City social media accounts is subject to public disclosure under Ohio public records laws. These accounts must clearly indicate that content is subject to public records management and disclosure. Please note that the content posted by non-City users of this site do not reflect the opinions and positions of the City of Whitehall or its employees. If you have any questions concerning the operation of this online moderated discussion site, please contact the City of Whitehall at [email protected].
