Social Media Policy for Legacy Student Media
Personal Social Media Usage
Staff members and editors should always refer to the Legacy Student Media policy manual for basic expectations and code of conduct.
When a student discusses Legacy Student Media or publication matters on social media, he/she be positive and professional toward the publication and its readers.
Appropriate personal social media will be used to promote the publications, to promote published content and to engage the Legacy community.
Students do not act as the official spokesperson for the department or its publications, so he/she must make clear that he/she is speaking for his/herself and not for the department.
Always tag @therideronline for all post and all social media outlets when discussing journalism items. Staff members are not allowed to self-promote their works without credit or mention of the department and tagging @therideronline.
Media students strongly encouraged to use social media when representing the department. Updating on a personal level rids the “they” feeling to the department and gives a face to who we are. It also shows the hard work we’re doing behind the scenes.
The Internet never forgets. This means everything published will be visible to the world for a very, very long time. Common sense is a huge factor. If you are about to publish something that makes you even the slightest bit uncomfortable, review. If you are still unsure, and it is related to the department and its publications contact an adviser or editor.
Just because information is on the internal network (like the staff emails, name book, and other documents), it is not ok to publicize on social media. Please act responsibly with the information you are entrusted with. This could become a legal matter.
Media students can be placed on probation for violating these policies.
Messages from the advisers and editors to all staff members are not meant for the World Wide Web or even discussion with friends and are not to be published on social media as screenshots
Do not comment on journalism related matters unless you are an official social media director.
Do not reply to others’ comments about the department or its publications. Retaliation is never OK.
Stay away from discussing financial topics of any kind.
Respect your audience. Don’t use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, or engage in any conduct that would not be acceptable in the Legacy Student Media Department.
Using your public voice to trash or embarrass the department or Legacy High School, your readers, your co-workers or even yourself is not acceptable – and not very smart.
Have you posted something that just wasn’t true? Be the first to respond to your own mistake.
Be aware that others will associate you with Legacy Student Media. Please ensure that your Facebook, Linked-in, Instagram, SnapChat or Twitter profile and related content is consistent with how you wish to present yourself and colleagues.
Know that what clothes you are wearing, what drinks your holding and actions you are portraying say more than words you type.
The Editorial Board reserves the right for discipline procedures for posts that violate any provisions hitherto outlined by this policy.
Legacy Student Media Accounts General Guidelines
Information posted on social media platforms should be held to the same standard as all other reporting in terms of information gathering and fact checking.
The official social media accounts should avoid biased promotion of events and remain objective, reporting what is fact.
Content posted by specific clubs’ accounts promoting events may be shared by the Legacy Student Media accounts on a fair basis.
Information gained through social media channels should be verified through multiple sources or by confirming a source’s validity before passing it along on a social media account. In breaking news situations, extreme caution will be exercised and speculation will never be published. Staff members posting from these accounts should make every effort to have a school administrator as a source in a situation where a breaking news event pertains directly to the school.
Audience engagement through social media should be done in a professional manner and use proper grammar and AP style.
Mistakes made on social media posts should be corrected as soon as possible and any deleted posts should be acknowledged in subsequent postings. [correction] should be used after deleted or correction posts.
In the event that a personal post is inadvertently posted from a Media account, it will be immediately deleted. It will be acknowledged if deemed necessary by the Editorial Board.
Opinions should be avoided in all social media updates except for those promoting an opinion piece.
If a user outside of the department threatens or causes an academic disruption through his/her social media account because of an update from Legacy Student Media, they will be blocked from our updates and reported to the appropriate assistant principal.
All updates should include a photo and a photo credit.
Main social media accounts should not be used for play-by-plays or event updates. The @legacylive account is used for such events.
All media accounts should be updated daily.
Twitter @therideronline
- The main audience for the staff Twitter account is current students
- At least 2, no more than 8 updates per day
- Photo of the Day must be published daily
- No first person pronouns can be used (our team, we, us, etc…)
- All updates must be professional and promote information for the current student (headlines from the newspaper, announcements, yearbook sales, etc…)
- The advisers, EICs and social media directors are the only ones to update
- Tweets should be upstyle and use a professional tone
- Retweets are allowed from other organizations to promote information
- We do not tag students in updates
- Photographers are responsible for texting scores of games attended along with a photo to the social media director
- The account will not reply to hate updates or opinions that @therideronline is tagged in
- The account will reply to questions or clarification
- The account does not follow back students/accounts who follow us
Instagram @therideronline
- The main audience for the staff Instagram account is current students
- 1, no more than 4 updates per day
- Photo of the Day must be published daily
- First person pronouns may be used (our team, we, us, etc…)
- All updates must be fun and playful and the Legacy community and should include yearbook sales,
- The advisers, EICs and social media directors are the only ones to update
- The tone is a more relaxed tone
- This account doesn’t like followers’ photos
- We do not tag students in updates
- The account will not reply to hate updates or opinions that @therideronline is tagged in
- The account WILL reply to questions or clarification
- The account WILL follow back students/accounts who follow us
Facebook /legacystudentmedia
- The main audience for the staff Facebook account is past students and parents
- 1, no more than 4 updates per day
- Photo of the Day must be published daily
- First person pronouns may not be used (our team, we, us, etc…)
- All updates must be professional and promote information for the current student (headlines from the newspaper, announcements, yearbook sales, etc…)
- The advisers, EICs and social media directors are the only ones to update
- The tone is a more serious, adult, professional tone
- We do not tag personal accounts in updates
- The account WILL reply to questions or clarification
- The account WILL follow back students/accounts who follow us
SnapChat @therideronline
- The main audience for this account is current students
- Updates depend on event coverage
- First person pronouns can be used (our team, we, us, etc…)
- All updates must be fun and promote school spirit or direct followers to our website
- Persons using the account must be with an adviser or social media director
- The tone is a fun tone
- The social media director will change the password to the account after each event
- The account does not follow back students/accounts who follow us