The development of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Blogger have created a set of unique concerns for government entities and corporations alike. How do you protect your districts image and control the flow of information in an era where news is on the internet and around the world in a matter of seconds?

In an attempt to protect against inaccurate or inappropriate information being released into the social media world, many government entities are creating social media guidelines for employees.

For example, the U.S. Department of Defense recently released their new policy for “responsible and effective use of internet-based capabilities,” (see page one of DTM 09-026 issued by the Deputy Secretary of Defense). This new policy essentially released their previous ban on access to social networking sites.

SDA is gathering data on social media guidelines and policies, and would like to access the written policies our district members have created.

If your district has created a social media policy, please email a copy of it to SDA Manager of Public Information Annie Skinner at annie@sdaco.org or call the SDA office at (800) 886-1733 as soon as possible.