Social Media Policy

 

Policy overview and purpose 

 Social media is changing the way we communicate. 

This policy has been developed to inform our community about using social media so people feel enabled to participate, while being mindful of their responsibilities and obligations. In particular, this policy provides practical guidance allowing all parties to benefit from the use of social media, while minimising potential risks and protecting those involved.  

 This policy assists to establish a culture of openness, trust and integrity in all online activities related to Montrose Soccer Club. 

 This policy contains Montrose Soccer Club guidelines for the Montrose Soccer Club community to engage in social media use. It also includes details of breaches of the policy.  

 In circumstances where guidance about social media issues has not been given in this policy, we suggest you use common sense or seek out advice from those who have approved this policy. 

 

 Underlying principles 

This policy complements Montrose Soccer Club’s core values: 

 Our Mission Statement 

The purpose of the Montrose Soccer Club is to: 

  • Promote soccer in the Yarra Ranges while catering for the social and competitive needs of our members. 
  • Provide opportunities for all participants to develop to their full potential. 
  • Ensure a safe and supportive environment to all our members. 
  • Be inclusive of all and to be aware of the diversity of our community. 
  • Play the game with spirit and in a fair and sporting way. 

 Club President/Secretary are responsible for all matters related to this policy. 

 

 Coverage  

 This policy applies to all persons who are involved with the activities of Montrose Soccer Club, whether they are in a paid or unpaid/voluntary and including: 

  • members, including life members of Montrose Soccer Club 
  • persons appointed or elected to Montrose Soccer Club boards, committees and sub-committees; 
  • coaches and assistant coaches; 
  • athletes; 
  • referees, umpires and other officials; 
  • member associations, and 
  • Spectators and family members that are present during club training, matches or organised events. 

 

Scope  

 Social media refers to any online tools or functions that allow people to communicate and/or share content via the internet.  

 This social media policy applies to platforms including, but not limited to: 

  • Social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Yammer, etc) 
  • Video and photo sharing websites or apps (e.g. YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Flickr, Vine, etc) 
  • Blogs and micro-blogging platforms (e.g. Tumblr, Wordpress, Blogger, etc) 
  • Review sites (e.g. Yelp, Urban Spoon, etc) 
  • Live broadcasting apps (e.g. Periscope, Meerkat, Facebook Mentions, etc) 
  • Podcasting (e.g. iTunes, Stitcher, Sound cloud, etc) 
  • Geo-spatial tagging (e.g. Foursquare, etc) 
  • Online encyclopaedias (e.g. Wikipedia, etc) 
  • Instant messaging (e.g. SMS, Skype, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Viber, etc) 
  • Online multiplayer gaming platforms (e.g. World of Warcraft, Second life, Xbox Live, etc) 
  • Online voting or polls 
  • Public and private online forums and discussion boards 
  • Any other online technologies that allow individual users to upload and share content. 

 

This policy is applicable when using social media as: 

  1. an officially designated individual representing Montrose Soccer Club on social media; and 
  2. If you are posting content on social media in relation to Montrose Soccer Club that might affect Montrose Soccer Club’s business, products, services, events, sponsors, members or reputation.  

 

NOTE: This policy does not apply to the personal use of social media where it is not related to or there is no reference to Montrose Soccer Club or its business, competitions, teams, participants, products, services, events, sponsors, members or reputation.  However, any misuse by you of social media in a manner that does not directly refer to Montrose Soccer Club may still be regulated by other policies, rules or regulations of Montrose Soccer Club. 

 

 

Using social media in an official capacity 

 You must be authorised by the President and/or Secretary before engaging in social media as a representative Montrose Soccer Club. 

 To become authorised to represent Montrose Soccer Club in an official capacity, you must have the authorised training or qualifications. 

As a part of Montrose Soccer Clubs’, community you are an extension of the Montrose Soccer Club brand.  

 As such, the boundaries between when you are representing yourself and when you are representing Montrose Soccer Club can often be blurred. This becomes even more of an issue as you increase your profile or position within Montrose Soccer Club. Therefore it is important that you represent both yourself and Montrose Soccer Club appropriately online at all times. 

 

Guidelines 

 You must adhere to the following guidelines when using social media related to Montrose Soccer Club or its business, products, competitions, teams, participants, services, events, sponsors, members or reputation.  

 

Use common sense 

Whenever you are unsure as to whether or not the content you wish to share is appropriate, seek advice from others before doing so or refrain from sharing the content to be on the safe side.  

 

When using social media, the lines between public and private, personal and professional, may be blurred. Remember, you are an ambassador for Montrose Soccer Club.  

 

Protecting your privacy 

Be smart about protecting yourself and your privacy.   

 When posting content online there is potential for that content to become publicly available through a variety of means, even if it was intended to be shared privately. Therefore, you should refrain from posting any content online that you would not be happy for anyone to see, even if you feel confident that a particular individual would never see it.  

 Where possible, privacy settings on social media platforms should be set to limit access. You should also be cautious about disclosing your personal details. 

 

Honesty 

Your honesty—or dishonesty—may be quickly noticed in the social media environment. Do not say anything that is dishonest, untrue or misleading. If you are unsure, check the source and the facts before uploading or posting anything. Montrose Soccer Club recommends erring on the side of caution – if in doubt, do not post or upload. 

 Do not post anonymously, using pseudonyms or false screen names. Be transparent and honest. Use your real name, be clear about who you are and identify any affiliations you have. 

If you have a vested interest in something you are discussing, point it out. If you make an endorsement or recommendation about something you are affiliated with, or have a close relationship with, you must disclose that affiliation.   

 The web is not anonymous. You should assume that all information posted online can be traced back to you. You are accountable for your actions both on and offline, including the information you post via your personal social media accounts. 

 

Use of disclaimers 

Wherever practical, include a prominent disclaimer stating who you work for or are affiliated with (e.g. member of Montrose Soccer Club) and that anything you publish is your personal opinion and that you are not speaking officially. This is good practice and is encouraged, but don’t count on it to avoid trouble -– it may not have legal effect. 

 

Respect confidentiality and sensitivity 

When using social media, you must maintain the privacy of Montrose Soccer Club’s confidential information. This includes information that is not publicly accessible, widely known, or not expected to be shared outside of Montrose Soccer Club.  

Remember, if you are online, you are on the record—much of the content posted online is public and searchable.  

 Within the scope of your authorisation by Montrose Soccer Club, it is perfectly acceptable to talk about Montrose Soccer Club and have a dialogue with the community, but it is not okay to publish confidential information of Montrose Soccer Club. Confidential information includes things such as details about litigation, unreleased product information and unpublished. 

 When using social media you should be considerate to others and should not post information when you have been asked not to, or where consent has not been sought and given. You must also remove information about another person if that person asks you to do so.  

Permission should always be sought if the use or publication of information is not incidental, but directly related to an individual. This is particularly relevant to publishing any information regarding minors. In such circumstances, parental or guardian consent is mandatory. 

 

Gaining permission when publishing a person’s identifiable image 

You must obtain express permission from an individual to use a direct, clearly identifiable image of that person.  

 

You should also refrain from posting any information or photos of a sensitive nature. This could include accidents, incidents or controversial behaviour.  

 In every instance, you need to have consent of the owner of copyright in the image. 

 Complying with applicable laws 

Do not post or link to content that contains illegal or indecent content, including defamatory, vilifying or misleading and deceptive content. 

 

Abiding by copyright laws 

It is critical that you comply with the laws governing copyright in relation to material owned by others and Montrose Soccer Club’s own copyrights and brands.  

 You should never quote or use more than short excerpts of someone else’s work, and you should always attribute such work to the original author/source. It is good practice to link to others’ work rather than reproduce it. 

 

Discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying 

The public in general, and Montrose Soccer Clubs’ members, reflect a diverse set of customs, values and points of view.  

You must not post any material that is offensive, harassing, discriminatory, embarrassing, intimidating, sexually explicit, bullying, hateful, racist, sexist or otherwise inappropriate.  

When using social media you may also be bound by Montrose Soccer Club’s values, Code of Conduct, Anti-Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying policies. 

 

Avoiding controversial issues 

Within the scope of your authorisation by Montrose Soccer Club, if you see misrepresentations made about Montrose Soccer Club in the media, you may point that out to the relevant authority in your Montrose Soccer Club. Always do so with respect and with the facts. If you speak about others, make sure what you say is based on fact and does not discredit or belittle that party. 

 

Dealing with mistakes 

If Montrose Soccer Club makes an error while posting on social media, be up front about the mistake and address it quickly. If you choose to modify an earlier post, make it clear that you have done so. If someone accuses Montrose Soccer Club of posting something improper (such as their copyrighted material or a defamatory comment about them), address it promptly and appropriately and if necessary, seek legal advice. 

 

Conscientious behaviour and awareness of the consequences 

Keep in mind that what you write is your responsibility, and failure to abide by these guidelines could put your membership with Montrose Soccer Club at risk.  

 You should always follow the terms and conditions for any third-party sites in which you participate. 

 

Branding and intellectual property of Montrose Soccer Club  

You must not use any of Montrose Soccer Club’s intellectual property or imagery on your personal social media without prior approval from Montrose Soccer Club. 

 Montrose Soccer Club’s intellectual property includes but is not limited to: 

  • trademarks 
  • logos 
  • slogans 
  • Imagery which has been posted on Montrose Soccer Club official social media sites or website. 

 

You must not create either an official or Montrose Soccer Club presence using the organisation’s trademarks or name without prior approval from Montrose Soccer Club. 

 You must not imply that you are authorised to speak on behalf of Montrose Soccer Club unless you have been given official authorisation to do so by the club President. 

Where permission has been granted to create or administer an official social media presence for Montrose Soccer Club you must adhere to the Montrose Soccer Club Branding Guidelines. 

 

Policy Breaches 

Breaches of this policy include but are not limited to: 

 Using Montrose Soccer Club’s name, motto, crest and/or logo in a way that would result in a negative impact for the organisation, clubs and/or its members. 

  • Posting or sharing any content that is abusive, harassing, threatening, demeaning, defamatory or libellous. 
  • Posting or sharing any content that includes insulting, obscene, offensive, provocative or hateful language. 
  • Posting or sharing any content, which if said in person during the playing of the game would result in a breach of the rules of the game. 
  • Posting or sharing any content in breach of Montrose Soccer Club’s anti-discrimination, racial discrimination, sexual harassment or other similar policy. 
  • Posting or sharing any content that is a breach of any state or Commonwealth law. 
  • Posting or sharing any material to our social media channels that infringes the intellectual property rights of others. 
  • Posting or sharing material that brings, or risks bringing Montrose Soccer Club, its affiliates, its sport, its officials, members or sponsors into disrepute.  In this context, bringing a person or organisation into disrepute is to lower the reputation of that person or organisation in the eyes of the ordinary members of the public. 

 

Reporting a breach 

If you notice inappropriate or unlawful content online relating to Montrose Soccer Club or any of its members, or content that may otherwise have been published in breach of this policy, you should report the circumstances immediately.   

 When this occurs, contact either the Club President or Secretary, stating where content was displayed, date and time. 

 

Investigation 

Alleged breaches of this social media policy may be investigated by the Montrose Soccer Club Committee and where it is considered necessary, may report a breach of this social media policy to police.  

 

Disciplinary process, consequences and appeals 

Depending on the circumstances breaches of this policy may be dealt with in accordance with the disciplinary procedure contained in the Montrose Soccer Club’s Code of Conduct Policy.    

 

Appeals 

Any person who is sanctioned under a disciplinary process for breach of this policy may have a right of appeal. 

 

Related policies 

  • Code of Conduct 
  • Anti-Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Policy 
  • Child Protection Policy 
  • Data Protection Privacy Policy, including opt-in consents 

Other legal considerations that may be applicable include but are not limited to:  

  • Defamation  
  • Intellectual property laws, including copyright and trade mark laws, Privacy, confidentiality and information security laws 
  • Anti-discrimination laws 
  • Advertising standards 
  • Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 
  • Information Privacy Act 2000 
  • Equal opportunity laws