The best nonprofit and foundation websites are not just great at providing information to visitors but also allow key constituencies to discuss and contribute to the thinking presented on the site. More and more organizations are creating social media presences that encourage two-way communication and adding blogs that allow their audiences to comment and add their thoughts. But what happens when commentary goes way beyond open dialogue to unproductive rudeness or even offensive hate speech?
The folks at the blog Nonprofit Tech 2.0, A Social Media Guide for Nonprofits have written a very helpful blog post on this topic that I would like to recommend. Titled “HOW TO: Effectively Manage Hate and Anger on Social Media Sites,” the post provides important insights and concrete advice on how to manage social media applications to address gross negativity and hate speech.
Here is some thinking about offensive “contributors” from the post…
These folks are rare, but they sadly exist. They are not interested in discussing the issues. They only join your page to rant and incite. They want a fight. The more people argue with them, the more active they will get on your page. Not only will they bring you down, they will bring the entire community down. I can’t stress that enough. Giving such a person their freedom of hate speech will ruin it for the rest of your community. More people are reading your Status Updates on Facebook than you might think (I have discovered). The vast majority are silent.
When asked, your fans want you to block the haters and racists because at a certain point your fans become so disgusted that they disengage from the Page to avoid seeing the hate. Out of 8,600 fans, I have now had to block a little more than 30. They were blocked for either really foul, hateful language full of 4-letter words, for uploading obviously racist images, or for being repeat offenders
The post goes on to give exact instructions on how to deal with those sorts of people on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace and your own blog. It also suggests posting “community guidelines” to your online sites and provides a link to an example.
It is a very thoughtful post and essential, quick reading for anyone who is managing an organization’s online presence and monitoring online discussion.
About Michael Hamill Remaley
Michael Hamill Remaley is the President of Hamill Remaley Communications. Previously, he was Director of Communications at the Russell Sage Foundation and Prior to that was Vice President and Director of Communications at Public Agenda. He has held a variety of positions at organizations such as The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, TCC Group and the Center for Social Policy and Community Development.