Amended and re-adopted 04/30/2022
Social Media:
LWVME, the LWVME Education Fund, MCCE and MCCE Action (the organizations) use a combination of social media platforms as a part of their communications activities, including a Facebook page, Instagram, and a Twitter account. The organizations use social media to highlight their own material, including programs, articles, new content to the web site, reports, and other resources. External media posts may also include content from other trusted sources such as media outlets, nonprofit associations, nonpro
fit publications, and social media experts, as long as they promote the principles and priorities of the organizations. Content is nonpartisan and promotes civil discourse. Postings are respectful, professionally represent the organizations, and adhere to the terms and conditions of any third-party sites. Content promoted by or attributed to the LWVME Education Fund and MCCE must be consistent with their tax-exempt status and with their charitable purposes as enumerated in their bylaws.
The boards of the organizations designate the Executive Director as the staff member responsible for administering this policy, with support from the Executive Committee.
The Executive Director, or their designee, has discretion to post timely material, whether originating from within or outside the organizations, or request review from members of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committees of the respective boards reserve the right to retract any content deemed inappropriate.
No confidential information about the organizations should be posted on the organizations’ or the personal social media accounts of board members, staff, or volunteers. This includes financial information, legal matters, organizational internal strategies, campaign benchmarks, unreleased advertising or promotions, internal processes or methodologies, circulating rumors, colleagues or members’ personal information.
Website
The organizations maintain web sites, consistent with their missions as nonpartisan political organizations, to encourage the public’s informed and active participation in government, to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. In addition, the web sites serve to inform and educate organization members, donors and members of the public about the organizations and their activities.
- Access is free of charge.
- No information is collected about visitors to the site unless they supply it knowingly and voluntarily in response to a sign-up page.
- Individual board member, trustee and donor mailing addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, and any other personally identifiable information will not be listed unless specifically authorized by the individual.
- Links to the web sites of other entities meet at least one of the following criteria:
- In general agreement with the positions and strategies of the organizations.
- Major coalition partners.
- Do not block or hamper a user’s ability to return to the web site.
- Part of the organizations’ service to provide accurate and timely education and advocacy information.
- There is a members-only section of the League web site that includes League board & Education Fund trustees’ minutes and other organizational documents. All other information is available to members of the public.
Social Media Comments
The organizations encourage public interaction and communication about the content posted on the organizations’ social media accounts. These platforms will post news, stories, events, ways to get involved, and other great information. The organizations welcome a diversity of opinions and encourage discussion of the issues on the social media platforms.
However, this does not imply that the organizations agree with or accept the content, opinions, or views expressed within any public comment. The person who posts a comment is solely responsible for the content of the comment.
While the organizations do not discriminate against views or opinions posted to these social networking accounts, the organizations reserve the right to remove or not approve any comment. A comment will not be edited or modified to remove unacceptable content; the entire comment will simply be deleted. Some of the reasons a comment may be removed or not approved are listed below:
- Abusive, vulgar, obscene, racist, threatening, or harassing comments.
- Libel, slander, or personal attacks of any kind, including the use of offensive terms that target specific individuals or groups.
- Spam, including content that promotes products or services or contains gratuitous links.
- Makes unsupported accusations.
- Comments that suggest or encourage illegal, dangerous, or destructive activity.
- Duplicate posts.
- Clearly off topic.
- Political campaigning or lobbying.
- Objectively false or misleading mis- or dis-information.
Users who consistently violate this policy, or engage in previously mentioned delete-worthy behaviors, will be banned from the respective social media page. The organizations will give one warning to a user before banning unless a pattern of behavior is clear. It is at the discretion of the organizations to ban anyone whom they determine to be a detriment to the atmosphere of the comments section.
In order to maintain nonpartisanship, the organizations will monitor posts to the site to prevent explicit endorsement or opposition of political candidates or political parties while permitting general informational comments.
Moderating and posting comments should only be expected to occur during normal business hours.