Respect and confidentiality

The University is an open, inclusive and progressive institution. Posts, images and comments should be inclusive, respecting and reflecting the University’s diverse community. 

Always be respectful. It's great to celebrate successes, not so great to be boastful, a turnoff in social media as elsewhere. 

Do not delete or suppress comments because they're negative. Correct misinformation but let valid criticisms stand. Don't get in a "bunfight" with your audience over an issue. On Facebook, delete spam, vulgar or irrelevant posts, or posts where an individual's privacy is compromised. Where possible, in the "About" section, post a policy statement and goals of the page. 

The goal of McGill University social media pages is to strengthen our community, which includes students, faculty, alumni and external community. The aim is to provide information about the university to the public and the internal community, celebrate our successes, promote events, publicize campus news and promote networking.

McGill fosters freedom of expression, while valuing respect and collegiality. Participants on our social media channels are expected to treat each other, and us, with respect. We reserve the right to remove the following: Comments deemed offensive, vulgar or profane; comments off-topic and/or unrelated to posted content; content that promotes services or products, content that infringes on an individual's safety, privacy or copyright. A user will be blocked after repeated breaches.

Do not post confidential information about the University, students, alumni or colleagues. You are representing the University but ultimately responsible for what you post. Use good ethical judgment and follow university policies. Do not publish photographs of people without their consent. Consult McGill's Computing Code of Ethics. Don't post anything that you would not present publicly. If you are using social media ambassadors, work very closely with them. Oversight on posts before publishing is recommended.

Getting the news out

Want to let journalists know about your upcoming event? Let the Media Relations team know and we can use our channels to advise. Refrain from using social media to engage in media pitching or media interviews as they usually won't appreciate it and it may reflect poorly on the University. If you are contacted by a member of the accredited media about a post or comment on a social networking site, refrain from responding and contact the Media Relations team

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