Transcript
Transcript: Dos and Don'ts of Navigating Social Media as a Public Servant
What's the first thing you did this morning?
You probably checked at least one of your social media accounts. Over 94% of Canadians online have one.
As a public servant, you can leverage digital platforms to share your work, collaborate with others, and engage.
And whether it's personal or professional, your social media use is guided 24/7 by the Values and Ethics Code. Respecting the Code helps make sure that even when online, your focus is on serving Canadians, protecting the public's trust and remaining impartial.
Here are the top dos for navigating social media as a public servant.
Do shout out the great work that you and your team are doing and get permission to share team and event videos or photos.
Do find, tag and follow potential collaborators for future cross-promotion.
Do like, post and share information, like job leads and recruitment campaigns.
Do join the conversation using an event or theme #Hashtag that's accessible.
Do participate and contribute online. Verify your sources to avoid misinformation and disinformation.
And here are the top don'ts.
Don't mistreat others: Harassment, defamation, hate propaganda and copyright infringement are never okay.
Don't overshare: Disclosing sensitive, protected information, or information not intended for public consumption, even if by accident, can have consequences.
Don't forget the Values and Ethics Code: Try to avoid discussions that criticize or attack the government or its policies.
Stay impartial: Assess before tagging partisan accounts or political parties.
Don't disrupt or put GC devices or networks at risk by spamming.
If you're still in doubt on how to proceed, know that social media activity is full of gray areas.
Don't be shy to reach out to your manager, the Values and Ethics Office, your designated political activities rep or your department's Communications team.
Want to learn more? Register today for Navigating Social Media as a Public Servant!
