The county last month introduced social media policies and guidelines for practices ahead of launching official accounts on various platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
“This is very exciting for us because we’re able to connect with the community at a moment’s notice and reach demographics that maybe we’re not already connecting with,” said Mike North, a county spokesman who will coordinate the effort.
The newly active accounts will share pertinent information, projects, events and announcements regarding Merced County.
The new social media policies provide guidelines for departments and county employees managing the accounts to ensure they’re used in a professional manner. For instance, videos posted to YouTube must be approved by the county executive office to make sure no copyrighted material is used. Employees also can’t disclose private information obtained through their county job.
The county is falling in step with various other government agencies, particularly police departments, that turned to social media to share information within the last year. Merced, UC Merced, Atwater, Los Banos, Dos Palos and Gustine police departments all regularly post updates on Facebook pages.
Some county departments already use social media accounts, such as the Fire and Office of Emergency Services and the Merced County Sheriff’s Office. The fire and OES page have shared tips on when to replace smoke alarms and a checklist of survival items to keep in the car during winter.
The Sheriff’s Office launched its investigations page earlier this year and has shared news about arrests and sought the public’s help in identifying suspects. The page is run by the detectives unit.
“We’ve already had success stories where we’ve received tips for our detectives through the Facebook page,” Undersheriff Jason Goins said.
©2016 the Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
