Community members of all ages and backgrounds are increasing their use of social media tools as a way to connect to each other and the issues they care about. Not surprisingly, cities and counties are also increasing their use of these communications channels to reach residents. These articles and tip sheets can help local governments navigate the operational and policy issues that may come up while pursuing this approach to community outreach and engagement.
This presentation at a CSAC Institute session provides an
overview of how Marin County uses social media in relation to
other digital communication tools.
What legal issues do public agencies face when they use social
media? This paper offers “dos and don’ts” advice for reaping
the benefits of social media while minimizing the pitfalls.
This award-winning paper, Taking the Bite Out of Blogs: Ethics in
Cyberspace, provides clear policy and ethics guidelines. Also
watch a short video interview with a county supervisor who shares
some perspective on managing online public comments.