Self-publishing and Social Media Guidelines: Staff

Overview

Other Local Authorities, universities and colleges are welcome to copy and paste these guidelines into their own wiki and see how they develop.

 

These guidelines are for employees who:

• use East Lothian Council’s Education and Childrens Services’ (ELC EDUCATION) hosted blogs, podcasts or wikis in the workplace.
• use personal blogs, podcasts or wikis outside the workplace that contain postings about the work of ELC EDUCATION or their colleagues’ work.
• post about ELC EDUCATION on the blogs, podcasts or wikis of others.

 

 The guidelines outline the importance of understanding the ELC EDUCATION Code of Conduct policy and include recommended best practices to consider when blogging or podcasting about ELC EDUCATION. They also provide a roadmap for constructive, respectful, and productive dialogue between bloggers/podcasters and their colleagues which are in the spirit of our culture and values and are at the best interest of all ELC EDUCATION employees.

 

 

Statement of Intent

It is a key aim of ELC EDUCATION to take a leading role in the use and encouragement of Web 2.0 technologies in education worldwide. To achieve this, we encourage the use of blogs, podcasts and wikis in relation both to ELC EDUCATION’s output and discourse where appropriate, and to the capacity for any individual member of ELC EDUCATION staff to engage in the wider educational conversation via a personal blog.

 

To this extent, managers across ELC EDUCATION should actively encourage the appropriate use of the various Web 2.0 technologies in every aspect of their responsibilities, internally and externally. Managers should also be open and encouraging to all staff wishing to use the technologies in a personal capacity.

 

 

What is a blog?

A weblog, or more commonly a blog, is similar to a personal web page made up of frequently updated posts - rather like a 'What's new' page. You can voice your opinions, views and comments about anything - it might be your hobbies, interests or your opinion on current affairs. People who create blogs are known as 'bloggers' and the process of keeping a blog is known as 'blogging'.

 

 

What is a podcast?

The term podcasting was coined to describe audio or video that can be broadcast to an iPod, but any software and hardware application onto which you can download audio files will work just as well. Podcasting is similar to a radio broadcast but the files are available for downloading from a website and you can have them delivered to your computer via an RSS feed.

 

 

What is a wiki?

A website or similar online resource which allows users to add and edit content collectively.

 

 

 

 

ELC and Social Media

 

One of the defining attributes of the emerging Web 2.0 and social networking technologies is the ability to surface unique voices and points of view. As a powerful tool in communicating, ELC EDUCATION welcome and encourage employees who are enthusiastic in this medium to use ELC blogs, podcasts and wikis as appropriate for their work and sharing of expertise. Similarly ELC EDUCATION also encourage self-publishing and are already aware that employees have their own weblogs, participate in other blogs or podcast on a regular basis. As a learner organisation and a key player in promoting emerging technologies in schools we wish to also be at the forefront of using such technologies to communicate and collaborate with others in the education world.

 

 

In doing so, ELC EDUCATION encourage employees like they would outside the online arena to engage and contribute in online communications with others about the important role ELC EDUCATION has in developing and supporting the curriculum in improving Scottish education.

 

 

The aim of these guidelines is not to get everyone blogging or podcasting but to make sure that ELC EDUCATION is part of the conversation when Scottish education is on the agenda. Before you initiate a blog or a podcast, ask yourself if it is the most appropriate method to communicate with your audience. Read other blogs or listen to some podcasts. What do you think works well? What do you dislike? What is it that you have to say and is this the right medium in which to say it?

 

You can link to examples of employee blogs, podcasts and wikis via the ELC EDUCATION web portal, eduBuzz.

 

 

 

Code of Conduct and Best Practice for Staff

 

ELC EDUCATION Code of Conduct Policy

These guidelines complement ELC EDUCATION’s Code of Conduct Policy. The same principles and guidelines also apply to online publishing and discussion, such as blogs, podcasts and wikis. Other useful guidelines and policies include the Acceptable Use of Electronic Communications and Resources Policy.

 

Please review and understand these before you begin blogging, podcasting or participating in wikis. These policies can be accessed via the ELC EDUCATION intranet or via HR.

 

 

Best Practice Guidelines for Staff

In summary:

 

• Keep secrets and be mindful or what you say

 

• Be respectful to your colleagues

 

• Get your facts straight

 

• Be Interesting – writing or talking is hard work - let's not add to this by making the reading difficult too

 

• Write what you know – add value

 

• Quality matters – respect the ELC EDUCATION identity and values

 

• Provide context to your argument

 

• Engage in Private Feedback

 

 

Keep Secrets and be Mindful of what you say

When you choose to go public with your opinions via a blog, you are personally responsible for your commentary. It is therefore important to ensure you understand what is confidential to the organisation at that moment in time. This also applies to podcasting. You should also be aware that if you create and distribute audio files internally, anticipate that those files can be shared outside ELC EDUCATION. Don’t record anything you wouldn’t disclose outside the organisation. Keep this in mind particularly if your internal podcast is meant to supplement or replace an internal meeting.

 

 

If your personal blog makes it clear that you are an ELC EDUCATION employee, it should include a simple and visible disclaimer such as ‘These are my personal views and not those of ELC EDUCATION’.

 

 

Do not use commentary deemed to be defamatory, obscene, proprietary, or libelous (whether pertaining to ELC EDUCATION, individuals, or any other organisation for that matter). For these reasons, employees should exercise caution with regards to exaggeration, colorful language, guesswork, obscenity, copyrighted materials, legal conclusions, and derogatory remarks or characterisations.

 

 

Be mindful not only of what you say, but how you say it. Sometimes the way you say something in the tone of your voice or writing, such as a hint of sarcasm can be as revealing as what you say.

 

 

 

Be Respectful of Your Colleagues

Be thoughtful and accurate in your posts, and respect other employees. All ELC EDUCATION employees can be viewed (correctly or incorrectly) as representative of the organisation, which can add significance to your public reflections on the organisation (whether you intend to or not). Employees who identify themselves as ELC EDUCATION employees in their blogs and comment on the organisation at any time, should notify their line manager and PR Officer of the existence of their blog to avoid any surprises. To be clear, you are not being asked to alert your manager of your posts, just to consider letting them know you have a blog where you may write about ELC EDUCATION.

 

 

In podcasting, do not record any person without his or her consent and awareness. Recording and distributing conversations is a breach of others' privacy. You must have the consent from every individual whose voice can be heard on your podcast. Start each audio recording by identifying everyone participating. When recording a meeting or event, make a statement at the beginning, such as "This conversation is being recorded for a podcast," so the participants are aware when the microphone has been switched on. Consider what you are presenting. MP3 files can remain accessible on the Web for years.

 

Having sought management advice on how pupils should introduce themselves at the beginning of a recording, the recommendation was "forename and year only" i.e. no surname and no specific class. The context was such that the school from which the recording had come was already known.

 

 

 

Get Your Facts Straight

If you wish to participate in blogs or podcasts, look around and do some reading, so you learn where the conversation is and what people are saying. If you start writing, remember the Web is all about links so when you see something interesting and relevant, link to it. You will be doing your readers a service, and you’ll also generate links back to yourself or ELC EDUCATION. As a ELC EDUCATION employee with intranet access, you have the opportunity to contact the employees who are responsible for the programmes, resources or services that you may want to write about. To ensure you are not misrepresenting your fellow colleagues or their work, consider contacting a member of the relevant team before posting. This courtesy will help you provide your readers with accurate insights, especially when you are blogging outside your area of expertise. If there is someone at ELC EDUCATION who knows more about the topic than you, check with them to make sure you have your facts straight.

 

 

Be Interesting · Writing or talking is hard work

There’s no point in doing it if people don’t read it. Get the balance right and write about something interesting. This applies to podcasts too. Successful bloggers or podcasters expose their personality by talking about themselves, their families and their interests. Make it fun so that you will encourage your listeners or readers to come back for more. Remember a blog is a public place and you should try to avoid embarrassing your readers or the organisation.

 

 

 

 

 

Write What You Know – Add Value

The best way to be interesting, stay out of trouble, and have fun is to write about what you know and add value to what you say.

 

 

Quality Matters · Respect the ELC EDUCATION Identity and Values

It is important that the quality of your blog or podcast is designed and produced well. Our Technology and Learning teams are skilled to assist you with this whether it is for internal or external use. It is important that the ELC EDUCATION Corporate identity is also upheld. External podcasts that present programmes or points of view relevant to ELC EDUCATION reflect on the organisation's values. These podcasts should be produced with care, with attention to detail and quality of audio production. With blogging, the quality of the thinking, writing, spell-checking and expertise are important.

 

 

Provide Context to Your Argument

Please be sure to provide enough support in your posting to help employees understand your reasoning, be it positive or negative. We appreciate the value of multiple perspectives, so help us to understand yours by providing context to your opinion.

 

Engage in Private Feedback

Not everyone who is reading your blog will feel comfortable approaching you if they are concerned their feedback will become public. In order to maintain an open dialogue that everyone can comfortably engage in, ELC EDUCATION bloggers are asked to welcome “off-blog” feedback from their colleagues who would like to privately respond, make suggestions, or report errors without having their comments appear on your blog. Bloggers want to know what you think. If you have an opinion, correction or criticism regarding a posting, reach out for the blogger directly. Whether privately or on their blog, let the blogger know your thoughts.

 

 

Press Enquiries/Public Disclosure

Blog postings or podcasts may generate media coverage. Before you blog or podcast you should ask for clarification on whether specific information can be publicly disclosed. Your senior manager will be able to assist you with this.

 

 

If a member of the media contacts you about a blog posting/podcast please contact your senior manager for advice.

 

You may be invited to participate in someone else’s podcast or blog. You should keep these guidelines in mind. Depending on the podcast or blog making the request, you could treat this in the same way you would treat an interview request from the media.

 

 

 

Guide for Line Managers

Managers should keep the ‘Statement of Intent’ in mind and should therefore encourage the use of Web 2.0 technologies where they can. They should not adopt a restrictive approach to staff use of Web 2.0 technologies in their personal capacities. Managers should also ensure that any special instructions on blogging are reasonable and explained clearly to staff.

 

Managers should bear in mind concerns about impartiality, confidentiality, conflicts of interest or commercial sensitivity. In some cases individuals may be dealing with matters which are so sensitive that rules may have to be set on what they can and cannot talk about on their personal blog.

 

 Managers can consult the ELC EDUCATION’s Code of Conduct.

 

 

Further advice 

For further advice please contact the IT Curriculum Support Manager or the New Technologies Research Practitioner.