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<br /> <br />LEAGUE OF <br />MINNESOTA <br />CITIES <br /> <br />CONNECTING & INNOVATING <br /> <br />SINCE 1913 <br /> <br />RISK MANAGEMENT INFORMATION <br />SOCIAL MEDIA AND CITIES <br />QUESTIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS <br /> <br />Social media is changing the way we work, connect and communicate. In a world of social <br />media, the lines between employees' personal and work lives are blurring, and in some <br />ways, being erased. How cities might choose to use these tools to support city work still is <br />emerging as cities consider possibilities and pitfalls. This memo talks about social media <br />considerations for cities, including who in the city should use social media, whether to use a <br />centralized or decentralized approach, things to think about if the city wants a formal social media <br />presence, issues related to elected officials and staff who use social media personally, "etiquette" <br />considerations, and legal issues that can cause concern. <br /> <br />Defining Social Media <br />Social mediaprimarily are Internet- and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing <br />information. Social media users can post photos, video, comment and post links to other <br />information to create content on any imaginable topic. Sometimes this is referred to as "user- <br />generated content" or "consumer-generated media." <br /> <br />Social media tools include: <br />· Social networking sites such as Facebook, Linkedln and MySpace. <br />. Blogs. <br />· Microblogs such as Twitter. <br />· Video sharing sites such as Y ouTube and iReport. <br />· Photo sharing sites such as TwitPic and Flickr. <br />. Wikis, or shared encyclopedias such as Wikipedia. <br />· RSS feeds. <br />· Mobile phone content uploaded to the Internet, and ever-emerging technological tools. <br /> <br />How cities choose to use social media still is being pondered at the same time that developers are <br />adding new tools, applications are merging, and favorites are emerging. It's exciting to watch, and <br />to consider the potential of all these tools to support the work of cities - especially during tight <br />budgets. But to plunge in headlong without talking through the potential reasons and risks of using <br />social media is setting a city up for difficulty down the road. <br /> <br />Social media, while accessible through the Internet, is generally thought of differently than a city <br />website. A city website is the official voice ofthe city, and is recognized as such. Cities typically <br />assign website content development and posting duties to staff as part of their official job duties. <br />Sometimes those duties include a supervisor's review of content before it is posted to the website. <br /> <br />This material is provided as general information and is not a substitute for legal advice. <br />Consult your attorney for advice concerning specific situations. <br /> <br />145 UNIVERSITY AVE. WEST <br />ST. PAUL, MN 55103-2044 <br /> <br />PHONE: (651) 281-1200 FAX: (651) 281-1299 <br />TOLL FREE: (800) 925-1122 WEB: WWW.LMC.ORG <br />