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Social Media
Social Media Policy
style piece of legislation, monitoring social media accounts. All it
does is provide a much more efficient way of dealing with issues
arising on social media once they are reported.
The correct format for the implementation of the SMP (social
media policy) is key to its success.
Sports Governing Bodies throughout various facets of
sport are currently undergoing the challenge of using
social media to enhance and develop their sport versus
controlling what their participants and officials publish
online in order to protect the reputation and integrity
of the sport and protect other participants and officials.
In order for a governing body to face this challenge a clearly set
out policy document must exist to set out what is acceptable and
what is not acceptable content on social media.
One of the other challengers however that faces Sports Governing
Bodies is what is the best format for the implementation of such
a policy and in those implementation procedures how do you
respect the right to freedom of expression versus maintaining
the reputation and integrity of the sport and protecting other
participants and officials.
There have been many criticisms of Sports Governing Bodies
who internally implement such policies with calls for better
transparency and accountability from the Sports Governing
Bodies as to how the policies are implemented and better
consistency over all in the punishments handed out to offenders.
Motorsport Ireland is no
different in this regard
and this article sets out to
formulate a best practice
for the implementation of
said social media policy
and importantly it sets out
the structure needed to
achieve accountability and
consistency in the approach
taken to all breaches under
the policy document.
As with all policy documents
and all disciplinary
procedures fairness,
consistency and equal
treatment are paramount.
This social media policy is
not designed a “big brother”
Other sporting bodies have in the past attempted to self-regulate
the use of social media by their participants and officials however
due to a lack of transparency, accountability and consistency
the general feeling is that the implementation of such SMPs has
failed.
Whilst the General Code of Conduct is perfectly adequate
for other matters of discipline, the SMP cannot and should
not be dealt with through the normal channels of complaints
and procedures as set out in the General Code of Conduct as
independence of the Panel is vital to the SMP panels success.
As such the implementation of the SMP for Motorsport Ireland
needs to be removed from the Motorsport Commission and
put into the hands of a stand-alone panel to be known as the
Motorsport Ireland Social Media Compliance Panel.
The panel will consist of the following individuals -
1. Two qualified legal experts
2. A child care / social services expert – to be utilised in cases
involving minors only.
The members of the panel will not be participants and officials
of Motorsport Ireland and must not be participants in any
Motorsport Ireland events either in the past or during their
term. This allows the panel
members to be totally
impartial to any participants
and officials of Motorsport
Ireland and to assess each
case on its merits free from
any influence or opinion of
Motorsport Ireland. This
allows for total transparency
and accountability when
dealing with issues as they
arise.
To find out more on the
disciplinary procedures in
the policy and to view it in
full, it can be located on the
Rules & Regulations tab on
www.motorsportireland.com
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