Coast Guard Social Media FAQs GENERAL QUESTIONS ........................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.
Where can I find policy and guidance on the Coast Guard’s use of social media? ............................................. 2
2.
Why can’t units have a Twitter, or other non‐Facebook, account? ........................................................................... 2
3. If a unit already has an established Flickr, YouTube, blog etc., not currently authorized by the new policy but have a substantial followership, are these sites grandfathered in and can the unit continue to use them? If not, is there a way to keep them as "unofficial" sites? ............................................................................................ 3 4. The policy puts a significant amount of work on behalf of servicing public affairs offices, like the already minimally staffed and busy District Public Affairs staffs. Will there be additional personnel assigned to help? ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 5.
What is the policy on the use of government logos and personal accounts? ....................................................... 4
6. It seems contradictory to say in the policy that we are not authorized to use personal accounts to conduct official business, but in the Field Guide it states we must use our personal account for administering a Facebook page. Why is this? ................................................................................................................................ 4 7. Will the CG monitor personal Facebooks or if you become of aware of it do you report it and if so to whom? What is the enforcement mechanism? ............................................................................................................................. 5 8.
Is there a standardized process for preserving site content relevant to records management issues? .. 5
9.
Does Section 508 compliance still apply since social media sites are on third party sites? .......................... 5
10. How do I disestablish a site? ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 11. In the event of a crisis, do we follow this guidance? How does a PIO request permission for and start to use social media? ................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 12. Access to some social media sites through the CG SWIII is restricted. How are commands supposed to properly manage and maintain a site they cannot access? ...................................................................................................... 6 13. What is the waiver process? ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 14. How do I register my site so that it appears on the Official Sites list on CG Compass? ................................... 7 15. Is CG Auxiliary required to follow our social media policies and procedures? ................................................... 7
FACEBOOK .................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 1. If the unit has a preexisting unit Facebook page, does the page need to be converted to a government page? ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 7 2. In the Social Media Field Guide it states that a unit Facebook page is attached to the page administrator's personal Facebook page. Can the page administrator set up a generic Facebook account for the unit instead of using their personal profile page? ............................................................................................................... 8 3.
Is the Facebook page permanently attached to the creator’s personal Facebook account? ......................... 8
4.
Can the ombudsman maintain the Facebook page for cutters who desire to have one? ................................ 8
PICTURES AND VIDEO ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 1.
How do we establish authorized users for the shared Flickr and YouTube sites? ............................................ 9
2.
What is the policy on the personal release of photos, video and other imagery? .............................................. 9
3.
Can Coast Guard imagery be edited before release? ..................................................................................................... 10
BLOGGING ................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
1.
How can we get statistics and metrics for our dodlive.mil blog? ............................................................................ 10
2.
How do we transition from our Blogger blog to the dodlive.mil blog? ................................................................. 11
3. Can the dodlive.mil blogs be customized for each district using their logo and district specific categories, etc? .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 4.
Since underway connectivity can be problematic, can PAs post to the dodlive.mil blog by e‐mail? ....... 11
TRAINING ................................................................................................................................................................................. 11 5.
Will HQ provide standard exportable training for unit spokespersons as outlined in the new policy? 12
6. At this point, there is no formal social media training for USCG PA’s. What is the way ahead for integrating social media into the PA rate? .................................................................................................................................... 12 7.
Which training is mandated for blog users, as outlined on the Field Guide (pg 11)? ..................................... 12
GENERAL QUESTIONS 1. Where can I find policy and guidance on the Coast Guard’s use of social media? CH‐1 to the Public Affairs Manual, including the social media chapter, went live online Monday, Jan. 31, 2011 and can be found here ‐ http://www.uscg.mil/directives/cim/5000‐5999/CIM_5728_2D.pdf. This chapter, along with the Social Media Field Guide and other resources/guidance, is also posted on CG Portal (to get to the Portal place use this URL: http://tinyurl.com/cgsocialmedia ‐ you may get an error pop‐up, but the page will open in a new window). While chapter 11 is an Internet accessible document that provides general policy on Coast Guard official, unofficial and personal use of social media, the Field Guide is an internal adaptable job aid designed to help those who manage public facing, public affairs official social media sites. The Field Guide does not direct the unofficial or personal use of social media. The policy is relatively static, but the Field Guide can change frequently as the approved tools, techniques and social media landscape changes. Back to top
2. Why can’t units have a Twitter, or other nonFacebook, account? It isn’t that units can’t have a Twitter account, but it is not part of the Coast Guard’s strategic organizational approach to using social media tools for public engagement. The strategy takes into consideration the limited resources at the unit level, search engine optimization, and building a collaborative online presence. The strategy encourages a flow of content from the easily managed unit Facebook page up to the PA‐managed district collaborative blog and Twitter account. Having district‐wide units collaborating on one blog and one Twitter account not only builds a larger following but also makes the unit‐level content more accessible to that larger audience.
Facebook is the ideal tool for units. It has all the capabilities of every other social media tool including quick/short wall posts like Twitter, blog type posts using Notes, pictures, video and more all while being less cumbersome to manage than a blog or multimedia sharing sites due to 508 compliance, accessibility and records management requirements. If a unit feels strongly that a Twitter, or other, account would better help them achieve their communications goals and their servicing public affairs office agrees that the site is appropriate and manageable as outlined in the policy, a waiver can be submitted through CG‐0922 per para C.6 of the policy. Back to top
3. If a unit already has an established Flickr, YouTube, blog etc., not currently authorized by the new policy but have a substantial followership, are these sites grandfathered in and can the unit continue to use them? If not, is there a way to keep them as "unofficial" sites? Your first question was a topic of much discussion as the policy was under development. The answer is no, sites are not grandfathered in. Part of gaining DHS and USCG approval for the policy was that any site not in compliance with the policy would need to either come into compliance, seek a waiver to continue, or be disestablished. DHS specifically outlines in their Communications Efficiency Review initiative the goal of streamlining processes and eliminating non‐essential online identities. This Review guided the development of USCG strategy, policy and guidance that encourages collaboration and centralizes online communication efforts. While a currently existing site may have generated a small ‐ albeit enthusiastic ‐ niche following, we feel that units are limiting their potential to reach a much larger audience and build their brand across the District. For your second question, there is no such thing as an unofficial site if the unit is using it to communicate about the Coast Guard. Therefore, any currently existing site that is not authorized per policy will need a waiver. If a unit feels strongly that their account is essential to achieving their communications goals and their servicing public affairs office agrees that the site is appropriate and manageable as outlined in the policy, then a waiver shall be submitted through CG‐0922 per para C.6 of the policy (click on “waiver” for more information). Back to top
4. The policy puts a significant amount of work on behalf of servicing public affairs offices, like the already minimally staffed and busy District Public Affairs staffs. Will there be additional personnel assigned to help? At this time no new resources are being provided for this task. While the change provides policy on the use of social media for Coast Guard communications it does not yet mandate commands to use the tools. It is at command discretion to
determine if resources and personnel are available to properly engage in social media. As with the release of any brand new policy and guidance, some initial growing pains and challenges can be presented. However, the end result will be a program that aligns with Coast Guard chain of command relationships, can sustain changes in leadership and personnel rotations, and will build a strong online brand for the U.S. Coast Guard that encourages a collaborative online partnership among units and parent commands. Back to top
5. What is the policy on the use of government logos and personal accounts? When we discuss logos, we are specifically talking about U.S. Coast Guard protected words and symbols (racing stripe, shield, etc. outlined in chapter 2 of the PA Manual). Logos and designs created for a particular event or memorial are okay as long as they do not violate the parameters outlined in the PA Manual. As for the use of personal accounts, the use of personal social media to release official information or conduct official government business is prohibited per OPSEC and personal security guidelines as well as DHS expectations. For example, using a personal Twitter account to release the USCG's first announcement of a SAR case or marine investigation OR using a personal Facebook profile page or group page to release initial findings of an investigation or to conduct discussions relating to the workplace (e.g. taskings, inspections, boardings, base closures, etc.) is not permitted. This type of business should either be conducted via official media relations channels (news releases, professional interviews), official social media channels or through the CG Portal (internal comms). You can, however, use your personal account to share information that is already released or posted online as long as it is factual and not hearsay. Back to top
6. It seems contradictory to say in the policy that we are not authorized to use personal accounts to conduct official business, but in the Field Guide it states we must use our personal account for administering a Facebook page. Why is this? The use of personal accounts is outlined in chapter 11 of the PA Manual under the section which governs "Personal use of social media." This is consistent with rules throughout the Public Affairs Manual governing release authorization including OPSEC, personal security and DHS expectations (read more above). When we talk about using your personal account to logon to Facebook in order to administer your unit's Facebook page, we are talking about the "Official use of social media." While you need to use a personal account to log on to your unit's Page, you lose your personal identity and become an official representative of the page (and the Service) when you interact with the public on the page ‐ nothing you post as an administrator of a Page will be linked to your personal account. At that point, you are no longer bound by the "Personal use" section of
the policy and are acting in an official capacity. The reason you are required to use your personal Facebook account is because the use of "generic" identities on Facebook is a violation of their Terms of Service, which says users shall not create more than one personal profile page (read more here). Back to top
7. Will the CG monitor personal Facebooks or if you become of aware of it do you report it and if so to whom? What is the enforcement mechanism? Policing social media content is a challenge and not a primary function at the CG‐0922 program level. What we need to keep in mind and communicate to the field is the importance of OPSEC, personal security, information release authority (including pictures and video), SAPP (see chapter 2 of the PA Manual), and professional online conduct (since everyone who is in the service or works for the service is a spokesperson for the service). Ultimately, public affairs (both in the media and online) are command issues. Individual commands will be expected to ensure their personnel comply with public affairs policy and that their public affairs is conducted professionally whether it is through media relations, their unit Facebook page or through the personal online accounts of personnel under their command. As chapter 11 in the PA Manual states, “Even when off‐duty, and on a personal site or blog, Coast Guard members are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice and employees are subject to administrative or legal action if they violate policy or security regulations.” Back to top
8. Is there a standardized process for preserving site content relevant to records management issues? At this time, we are encouraging units to us a combination of manually preserving content and using a free, online service called Backupify.com. While Backupify is not perfect, we are working with the company to meet our needs. Please refer to the Social Media Field Guide for more information on managing and archiving records. Back to top
9. Does Section 508 compliance still apply since social media sites are on third party sites? Although some third‐party sites do not offer Section 508 functionality, this does not necessarily preclude the government from complying with this legal requirement. Basically, all non‐text elements (e.g. graphics, pictures and videos that cannot be read by screen reading software) must have a text equivalent (e.g. alt text, description, caption, transcript, and closed captioning as appropriate). Site managers should decide if the content can be made compliant before publishing, which may require manual transcription of audio files and linking to
the transcript. Refer to the Social Media Field Guide for more tips and information and consult with CG‐0922 if needed. Back to top
10. How do I disestablish a site? The answer to this questions depends on the site and the content placed on the site. Please contact CG‐0922 at
[email protected] for consultation.
Back to top
11. In the event of a crisis, do we follow this guidance? How does a PIO request permission for and start to use social media? There have been a number of conversations at the CGHQ level on the need to address social media in a response structure (JIC) setting. While we all agree that needs to take place, the general consensus is that the Public Affairs Manual is not the place for that content. While the general rules found in the PA Manual (need for a comment policy, Privacy and OPSEC concerns, records management, waivers/site approval, etc.) will all still apply, response specific site authorizations and release approvals should go into an updated JIC manual. For the second part of the question, the requests for new social media sites during a crisis should still come up through CG‐0922. We can help get the right authority from the right person in an expedient manner. Back to top
12. Access to some social media sites through the CG SWIII is restricted. How are commands supposed to properly manage and maintain a site they cannot access? While we are actively working to get access to social media on CG workstations approved, it is not authorized by CG‐092 but rather by CG‐6. In the meantime, units may use unit funds to acquire “stand‐alone” computer terminals and Internet connections outside of the Coast Guard network to attain greater access to blocked sites. Additionally, as outlined in the Field Guide, commands may consider using their servicing public affairs office or other trustworthy and properly trained party (e.g. unit ombudsman) to help moderate and managed their social media sites. Back to top
13. What is the waiver process? Should a servicing public affairs office determine a non‐standard site is appropriate and is the best way for a unit to achieve their communication goals, a waiver must be requested. Because we have worked with DHS to gain blanket
approval for our strategy, any use of social media beyond what is authorized will have to receive concurrent clearance from DHS Office of Public Affairs. The DHS waiver process is outlined under the "New Web Sites or Capabilities" with a “Best Practices Sample” on the DHS site outlining expectations WRT web communications. Servicing public affairs offices shall consult with CG‐0922 prior to completing the waiver paperwork to make the best use of resources and lessons learned. Back to top
14. How do I register my site so that it appears on the Official Sites list on CG Compass? Currently, the registration process is under development. Until a more permanent solution is identified and created, the following FOUO registration site has been established for the purpose of registering OFFICIAL Coast Guard social media sites: http://tinyurl.com/cgsiteregistration. Again, this site is FOUO and not for external distribution. On April 1, 2011, the list of registered sites will be posted to http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/official‐sites/ and will be updated quarterly from that point forward. If, at any time, a District PAO/PAC would like to view the most current listing of registered sites within their AOR, please contact LT Connie Braesch who can make that happen for you. Back to top
15. Is CG Auxiliary required to follow our social media policies and procedures? The Auxiliary is a unique component of the U.S. Coast Guard and falls under different legal and procedural rules and regulations. While it is not our intent to require them to comply with our policies and procedures, it will be beneficial for them to align their social media presence with the U.S. Coast Guard’s. Additionally, their understanding of the policy and strategic framework will help them become better force multipliers and integrate with the active duty and reserve members. We are working with the Auxiliary Program to identify impacts this policy has on Auxiliary communications and achieve the best mix of alignment and autonomy between Active and Auxiliary sites. Back to top
FACEBOOK 1. If the unit has a preexisting unit Facebook page, does the page need to be converted to a government page? At the moment, there is nothing that says a unit would have to disestablish a "business" page and reestablish it as a "government" page. However, if units have existing Facebook "group" sites (vice a "page"), they will have to disestablish the "group" and reestablish as a "government page." In the future, DHS may require all component Facebook pages are “government.” So, any existing “business” or other page without much content or much of a following
may want to play it safe and make the transition to a “government” page now, which is the most appropriate type. Additionally, you should also consider the page’s naming convention. We need to start bringing all USCG Facebook pages into compliance with the naming conventions outlined in Chapter 11 and the Field Guide. If an existing Facebook page is set up as a "business" page AND is out of synch with the naming convention, the unit should reestablish the page as a properly named "government" page. Back to top
2. In the Social Media Field Guide it states that a unit Facebook page is attached to the page administrator's personal Facebook page. Can the page administrator set up a generic Facebook account for the unit instead of using their personal profile page? The use of "generic" identities on Facebook is a violation of their Terms of Service, which says users shall not create more than one personal profile page. Facebook page administrators must use their personal profile to administer the page. Please note the following: • While an Admin is managing their page, they will post and comment as the page (i.e. the page’s profile picture is used and not their personal profile picture). The only time their personal profile is visible is if/when they privately message someone. • When Admins engage or comment on their page, they shall disclose who they are using their title, name and position for credibility and transparency. (i.e. use a signature like: Regards, Lt. Connie Braesch, Coast Guard Public Affairs). • Realizing names are searchable on Facebook, Admins shall exercise caution and maximize the privacy and security settings on their personal page as well as select an appropriate and tasteful profile picture. Back to top
3. Is the Facebook page permanently attached to the creator’s personal Facebook account? A Facebook page can have multiple administrators assigned to it at any given time and the original administrator can be removed from the site at any time by any other administrator. Back to top
4. Can the ombudsman maintain the Facebook page for cutters who desire to have one? As stated in the Field Guide, "Commands may consider using their servicing public affairs office or other trustworthy and properly trained party to help moderate
comments or keep the command informed while the unit is underway or otherwise unable to keep a close eye on the page." (Page 6 under "Moderate comments") So, an ombudsman may be designated by the unit to act as an additional Facebook page administrator when a cutter crew is underway. The ombudsman must undergo District training prior to taking on that role and cannot be the sole administrator of the unit Facebook page. With respect to legal considerations, the unit CO is ultimately responsible and accountable for unit Public Affairs. The ombudsman should receive and document District training and command designation (just as a collateral PAO gets a command designation letter) to act on behalf of the unit. Back to top
PICTURES AND VIDEO 1. How do we establish authorized users for the shared Flickr and YouTube sites? To obtain the username and password for the shared Flickr and YouTube sites, the District PAO or PAC will need to send an email to
[email protected] with a list of authorized users. Authorized users shall not share the username and password with anyone not on the access list. The password will be changed frequently and distributed to the access list of users. PAOs and PACs must update
[email protected] when authorized users change, depart the unit or no longer need access. Users or offices that upload content in a way inconsistent with Coast Guard standards, that is not authorized in the policy, or that share passwords outside of the access list may have their posting privileges revoked. Back to top
2. What is the policy on the personal release of photos, video and other imagery? This is a very important and often asked question. IAW chapter 5, paragraph B.3. of the Public Affairs Manual, “All photographs and video, including those taken with personal cameras, taken aboard Coast Guard units are subject to screening and approval of the commanding officer prior to release for commercial or public use. All such photography is considered official and may not be sold, or used for marketing, under any circumstances for private gain.” Additionally, DHS policy is that all imagery posted on a .com must also reside on a .gov or .mil. As stated in chapter 11, “The primary method of releasing Coast Guard imagery is through CGVI (http://cgvi.uscg.mil).” While commands may approve imagery for release on social media, they shall work with their servicing public affairs office to place newsworthy or operational imagery in CGVI. Back to top
3. Can Coast Guard imagery be edited before release? Coast Guard imagery shall not be manipulated beyond cropping to fit a frame or layout and minor color correction unless it is being used in product layout (e.g. – blog post or profile icon). Guidance and references on the ethical standards for editing Coast Guard visual imagery can be found in the Coast Guard Stylebook. An ALCOAST was sent last year announcing its release ‐ uscg.mil/announcements/alcoast/179‐10_alcoast.txt. Back to top
BLOGGING 1. How can we get statistics and metrics for our dodlive.mil blog? Blog managers will have access to statistical software called Urchin 6, which is managed and run by DMA. Stats are available by sub‐domain (e.g. https://greatlakes.coastguard.dodlive.mil) as well as for the entire https://coastguard.dodlive.mil domain to compare and contrast. To get access, please email Lt. Connie Braesch at
[email protected]. While this software is not the easiest to use, it is what we are provided. The following are a few tips on gathering basic metrics: • To select date range, use the option on the calendars on the left navigation panel. • To get a graphic of pageviews/visits, go to Marketing Optimization ‐> Unique Visitor Tracking ‐> Visits and Pageview Tracking. • To get pageviews for a specific blog post, go to Content Optimization ‐> Content Performance ‐> Top Content ‐> then put the identifier portion of the URL into the text box next to the word "filter". For example, to get stats on the blog post "First Female Service Academy Superintendent Named" you can type in/paste in "2010/12/first‐female‐superintendent‐of‐ a‐service‐academy‐named/" into the bar on the Top Content report and hit enter. • To change your password, log in and click on the "Preferences" hyperlink at the top right of the page. • To access your website's profile, just click on the hyperlinked profile name. • To access your overall visitors and pageviews, open the Marketing Optimization panel on the left, then click "Unique Visitor Tracking" and then "Visits & Pageview Tracking". • To access your most trafficked web pages, click on Content Optimization, followed by Content Performance and then Top Content. • To access your top search terms, click on Marketing Optimization, followed by Search Engine Marketing, and then Overall Keyword Conversion. • To access your top referring sites, click on Marketing Optimization, followed by Visitor Segment Performance, and then Referring Source. Back to top
2. How do we transition from our Blogger blog to the dodlive.mil blog? Once you have outlined a social media program for your AOR, identified your way ahead for using social media, and decided to move your Blogger content over to the dodlive.mil Wordpress blog, contact Chris Lagan at
[email protected]. He will help you migrate your content and establish your dodlive.mil blog. Back to top
3. Can the dodlive.mil blogs be customized for each district using their logo and district specific categories, etc? While this is a great idea ‐ in theory, there are a number of reasons we've taken the standardized approach. First, as part of the larger standardization effort across the public affairs rate, we wanted to create a set of tools that could be used by any PA regardless of where they're stationed without having to be completely retrained on social media each time they transfer. That was the driving purpose for bringing all OFFICIAL Coast Guard blogs onto one tool with one job aid (the Field Guide) to cover any blog they might find themselves working on. Second, while the folks at DMA have generously offered to let us host our blogs on their servers, we are only permitted one theme for the Coast Guard. The "theme" is what you see across the top and along the right hand side of the blog (the header and the navigation). That is consistent across all of our blogs (Compass included), so a change to one is a change to all. For the time being, our goal will continue to be (1) to have districts establish District Instructions for their AORs, (2) to bring all districts online with a dodlive.mil blog and (3) bring all public affairs social media sites into compliance by March 31, 2011. Once we make it through that and you all have had time to work with your new blogs, we can have a larger conversation about how we might tweak our theme to best tell the Coast Guard story to the American people while working in some individuality for your regional audiences. Back to top
4. Since underway connectivity can be problematic, can PAs post to the dodlive.mil blog by email? This is an administrative function of the Wordpress blog that we, CG‐0922, are looking into. We will update the field as the functionality becomes available. Back to top
TRAINING
5. Will HQ provide standard exportable training for unit spokespersons as outlined in the new policy? Currently, there is no exportable training provided but some level of social media training is required IAW Chapter 11 of the Public Affairs Manual. While we know it is not always possible, we recommend that you encourage your commands to send collateral PAOs to DINFOS CGPAC. If that is not an option, your social media strategy should require all unit personnel receive an in‐depth briefing from the District PA shop. This briefing should be your standard briefing for all Coast Guard spokespersons (e.g. ‐ command discretion, release of information, SAPP, OPSEC, personal security, awareness of CG PA Manual ‐ particularly Chapter 11 ‐ and other references ‐ Social Media Field Guide, etc). Commands shall provide district public affairs offices a letter designating their social media site manager(s), which shall be retained and available if requested. Back to top
6. At this point, there is no formal social media training for USCG PA’s. What is the way ahead for integrating social media into the PA rate? The Defense Information School is working social media into their curriculum and raising student’s awareness and understanding of how to use these tools to officially communicate. Additionally, the Rating Force Manager plans to incorporate social media competencies into the PA rate (including practical factors and service wide exams). Back to top
7. Which training is mandated for blog users, as outlined on the Field Guide (pg 11)? Go to https://pwtraining.dma.mil/ and complete the Information Release module. Course completion certificates shall be kept on file at the District or other servicing public affairs office per DMA requirements for server access. Back to top