Social Media Use Policy

Introduction

This policy has been adopted in accordance with the Society Rules pursuant to a resolution of the Society at a general meeting held on 13 December 2023 .and the Best Practice guidance issued by the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA).

This policy applies to all members of the Society Board including any persons co-opted onto the Society Board in accordance with the Society Rules (“Society Board Member(s)”) and includes all social media accounts and digital social networking sites.

This policy is in place in order to protect the interests and reputation of the Society and Salford Red Devils (“the Club”).

Social Media Usage

It is expected that Society Board Members will not:

• divulge information which is confidential to the Society, its members or suppliers or any other person or organisation with whom the Society conducts business

• conduct themselves in a way that is detrimental to the Society
• use derogatory language towards;

• any player, manager, coach, official or person associated with the Club
• any member of the Society
• any person commenting on a digital social networking site or other online platform in regard to the Club or the Society
• any member of the wider Rugby League community including, but not limited to, match officials, other clubs, leagues, associations etc.
• any player, official or representative of the above

• The Society does have a public profile, and as such can be subject to scrutiny by the media and the general public. It is important that all Society Board Members take great care to ensure that they do not at any time use social media in a way that could damage the reputation of the Society, the Club and its or their partners. Society Board Members must behave in a way which ensures there is no negative impact on the Society, the Club, the members of the Society and the people and organisations that the Society and the Club work with and for

• Privacy and the reputation and feelings of others must be respected at all times. Society Board Members should obtain the permission of other Society Board Members before posting contact details or photos. It is in everyone’s interests that Society Board Members do not make any comment, share images or divulge information that may cause embarrassment to the Society

• At all times great care should be taken to avoid using language which could be deemed as offensive. An FSA recommended approach for addressing this is to consider how what a person is saying would be viewed if it was broadcast as an interview with that person.

• In the course of working on behalf of the Society, Society Board Members could have access to information relating to the finances, budgets, transfer or recruitment activity of the Club. Information of this nature MUST be treated sensitively and confidentially. It is expressly prohibited for Society Board Members to comment on such matters publicly

• Personal digital social networking accounts should not be used for Society business unless authorised by the Society

• If personal digital social networking accounts are likely to be used to comment on official Society activity, biographies should state that “the views expressed are personal and not those of [……………………..]”

• The official Society digital social networking accounts should block anyone sending abusive messages, anyone discriminating or engaging in intentional provocation

• It is the responsibility of anyone publishing content on the Society’s behalf to ensure they take additional precautions if they themselves use personal accounts i.e. keep the Society’s accounts separately and ensure they are aware of which account they are using before posting any material.

As with all the Society’s policies, any suspected breach of this policy will be treated seriously and investigated and may result in disciplinary action in accordance with the Society’s Code of Conduct.

I confirm that I have read the above guidelines, and agree to abide by them: