Gone were the days when it considered acceptable for organizations to just say “no comment” when asked for a statement.  Innovations in communication and broadcasting created a world where the public demands swift information and transparency. This can get tricky when organizations are used to rely on the media to relay their message but incomplete, inaccurate and even sensationalized information is sent out just to keep up with supplying the public with news real-time. With this in mind, organizations in both the private and public sphere has taken it upon themselves to proactively deliver news and tell their story to the community.

Katie Nelson is back on Justice Clearinghouse to provide guidelines on how public agencies can leverage social media. Katie is the Social Media and Public Relations Coordinator at the Mountain View Police Department (MVPD) in Northern California. She served on the Government Social Media Council, a national organization that works to educate and improve agencies’ understanding and usage of social media. She’s also elected as secretary for the PIO section of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

Points Katie discussed on this session include:

• The factors that government agencies are up against in the social media space.
  • Misinformation and opinions that deliberately or inadvertently mislead the public.
  • Mobilization from small mighty factions who want their voices to be heard.
  • People’s expectations when it comes to turnaround time to their raised concerns.
  • Media that focus on flashpoints, capture more negative reports or sensationalize news.
  • Poor decisions by other agencies that gets reflected on every other organization.
  • The risks taken and failures agencies experience working on a social media presence.
• How public sector agencies can use social media as an avenue to communicate directly with the public that showcases the agency’s values and mission with an independent voice.
• Public vs. Private: The public sector’s attempt to keep up with how private companies are able to leverage social media for real-time customer engagement.
• Social media amidst the pandemic
  • How public sector agencies can maximize social media to deliver critical information to the communities they serve.
  • The methods/tools/apps being used to create social media content that is easily digestible and shared.
  • The importance of a consistent voice/tone when communicating and accessibility of the information in various platforms.
  • Balancing out social media content to prevent overwhelm with news and information.
  • Remembering different segments of the society that may need information and require extra attention given the circumstances.
• Understanding the value of social media in information dissemination based on Pew Research Center’s report that highlight people’s usage and consumption of social media across demographics.
• Recognizing the reality of social media fatigue and practicing discernment when it comes to posting content.
• Rising above the noise in social media, focusing on telling a story, providing valuable information and earning public trust.
• Elements that make good content – putting authenticity, education and the community on the forefront through content that engages with the audience.
• A case example where MVPD is faced with social media backlash and how they were able to overcome it through engagement, transparency, education, and follow up.

Areas tackled during the Q&A were on:

• The value of social media when it comes to public service through its ability to provide fast response.
• Equipment and software for podcast production.
• Collaborating with partner agencies.
• Which platforms are best used.
• The reach and engagement of relatively newer social media platforms.
• Apps/tools used to create social media content .
• Prioritizing content based on urgency.
• Educating users on social media safety and security.
• Cross posting content between different platforms.

Resources and Handouts

• MVPD Stay At Home Save Lives 
• Mental Health Resources
• Stay at Home Order Updates
• County Guidelines
• MVPD Style Guide
• Tips on Home Security Cameras
• Anatomy of a 911 call
• Canva (online graphics design tool)

Audience Comments

• “Great information. The instructor was well informed and made it very interesting.” — Terry
• “The speaker encompassed so many good areas of concern. Good examples of social media PR, dealing with bad social media PR. Things to incorporate, things to avoid. Very thorough and thoughtful coverage of the topic. Thank you, Katie!” — Tressa
• “The most valuable thing I learned in this webinar is from the case study, it showed me that connecting, educating, and following up with our audience is critical to building trust and transparency also it builds brand resiliency. In addition, how adapting to the new social media such as Tik-Tok can change the way how we engage and communicate with others.” — Jacquelyn
• “Katie Nelson is one of the best presenters! Great job with very valid information.” — Guillermo
• “I am new to the idea of using social media to our agency’s advantage, kudos to Katie for providing enough context and background for the information presented that I didn’t feel left behind. The concepts are all sound and I’m eager to put them into use. Thank you.” — Margaret
• “The importance of keeping social media relevant and up to date. Also, I appreciate Katie stressing that it is not necessary to post every single day unless it’s just too dynamic not to. As the social media manager for our agency, this is possibly one of the most useful webinars I have attended on this which includes one I attended in person presented by Facebook.” — Lou