Social Media Policy

South African Practical Precision Rifle Federation (NPC)

Updated: 17 May 2019 — v1.3

1. Interpretation#

The interpretation of the Social Media Policy shall be the same as the interpretation of the Constitution of the South African Practical Precision Rifle Federation.

2. Introduction and Purpose#

2.1.Social media has become an important and powerful tool that, if used correctly, provides an opportunity for unprecedented levels of engagement with members, key stakeholders and the general public.

2.2.However, the use of social media – in both a personal and professional capacity – has risks attached to it. In particular, social media presents significant risks to the reputation of SAPPRF and its members. SAPPRF is under an obligation to limit and wherever possible, avoid those risks.

2.3.With this in mind, this Policy regulates your participation on social media, by providing guidelines as to what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable use of these platforms. The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that your use of social media does not compromise SAPPRF.

2.4.For purposes of this Policy, "social media" means any facility for online publication, communication and commentary, including, without limitation, blogs, wikis and platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Twitter, Snapchat, YouTube, and any other forms of communication that may now, and in the future, be classified or generally regarded as social media.

2.5.This Policy supersedes any previous Policy.

3. Scope#

3.1.This policy covers the use of social media with regards to:

3.1.1.SAPPRF and its brands.

• Precision Rifle Series, PRS, or PRS-SA

3.1.2.SAPPRF's Affiliations, as defined by the SAPPRF Constitution.

• SASSCo
• SASCOC
• Precision Rifle Series USA

3.2.This Policy governs the use of social media by:

3.2.1.SAPPRF members, including, but not limited to:

• Participants / Athletes
• Instructors / Coaches
• Match Officials
• Spectators

3.2.2.SAPPRF employees, administrative staff, and committee members;

3.2.3.Any associated interested persons who have a duty on behalf of SAPPRF.

3.3.This policy applies to:

3.3.1.your own content on social media;

3.3.2.your private digital content which is intercepted, forwarded or captured as a screenshot and then published on social media.

For example:

• Someone may take a screenshot of your sexist comment in a private message which then goes viral; and

3.3.3.your conduct in the real world which is documented digitally and published on social media.

For example:

• You make a racial slur while out drinking, someone overhears you or takes a picture/video and turns to Twitter with "Just heard some guy on a racist rant. He is a member of SAPPRF".
• You are filmed showing your brand-new firearm to a friend in public which is published on YouTube and a viewer identifies you as PRS competitor.

3.4.Breach of this policy may be dealt with under SAPPRF's Code of Conduct and, in serious cases, may result in disciplinary action.

4. Important Social Media Guidelines#

Although you are required to read the entire Policy, particular notice should be taken of the following key principles relating to social media:

4.1.Nothing about social media changes your responsibilities and obligations to SAPPRF. It does not matter if you are using a private account, a pseudonym account, an anonymous account, or using social media outside of SAPPRF-related events, your obligations in terms of your membership contract with SAPPRF, your employment contact with SAPPRF and/or and any other applicable SAPPRF policies, apply equally to your conduct on social media.

4.2.Remember that it is "published" – Under South African Law, once one other person has seen your content on social media, it is considered "published content" and can therefore carry the same legal consequences as content that is published in a newspaper or other publication.

4.3.Once it's out there, it's out there for good – Remember that the Internet never forgets — what you publish will be around for a long time, so reflect on and edit your content carefully. If you feel even slightly uneasy about something you are about to publish, then you shouldn't do it.

4.4.Social media lacks context and tone – Humour, irony and sarcasm are often hard to understand without your facial expressions and gestures (even with emoticons and emojis) and can create misunderstandings. Consider what you say carefully and think about how it might be interpreted.

4.5.You have the right to freedom of expression but that right may not unjustifiably infringe on the rights of others – for example, someone else's right to a good reputation, dignity or privacy. Before you post something on social media, think about the impact that it could have on other SAPPRF members, employees, SAPPRF itself and the general public.

5. Key Policy Principals#

SAPPRF fosters an open and expressive environment and does not object to, or discourage, the personal use of social media. However, in using social media, always remember that your relationship with SAPPRF is based on good faith. This means that you should not do anything on social media that may bring the name of SAPPRF into disrepute.

The following principles outline the conduct that is to be followed when engaging digitally (which includes real world conduct which is documented digitally):

5.1.Respect the law and the rights of others – The public, your fellow SAPPRF members and/or employees all reflect a diverse set of cultures, values and points of view. Don't be afraid to be yourself on social media, but do so courteously and respectfully, and be thoughtful about how others may be affected. Don't upload, post, forward or post a link to any content that:

• Is offensive, derogatory, defamatory, racist or insulting – for example, calling someone the k-word, a slut or falsely accusing them of theft;
• Amounts to hate speech – hate speech is harmful or hateful content that discriminates on the basis of any of the prohibited grounds such as race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or religion;
• Is fraudulent, untrue, or intentional misrepresentation;
• Is illegal: for example; do not post content which violates the Firearms Controls Act or any other applicable legislation which governs the use of firearms and/or the rights of firearm ownership.
• Is harassing or threatening;
• Is abusive, obscene, pornographic, indecent, lewd, suggestive or otherwise objectionable;
• Is invasive of the privacy of others – before you post anything on social media, think about whether the content is yours to share (and be particularly mindful of posting photographs of others without permission); or
• Infringes on intellectual property rights – for example, using written content, logos or pictures without permission.
• Infringes on the platform rules relating to weapons and firearms – almost all social media platforms have their own guidelines and community standards which govern the extent and the manner in which you may post content relating to your weapon/s. Ensure that the content that you post on social media does not violate these guidelines.

5.2.Don't post photographs or content which glamorises or incites violence – be particularly careful not to post any photographs or content depicting or relating directly or indirectly to firearms which may, in any way be construed as promoting or glamorising violence.

5.3.Beware of Retweeting, Sharing or Liking content – Even if you did not originate the content, you could potentially be held as responsible for material that you retweet, share or like on social media, as if you had published the content yourself.

5.4.Don't disregard the SAPPRF values – Do not say or do anything contradictory or in conflict with SAPPRF's values. This includes commenting in an inflammatory or objectionable way on topics such as politics, religion, race, sexual orientation, age, disability or nationality. Don't escalate heated discussions, try to be conciliatory, respectful and quote facts to correct misrepresentations. Never contribute to a discussion if you are angry or upset, return to it later when you can contribute in a calm and rational manner. Avoid using offensive language or doing or saying anything that creates a hostile work environment.

5.5.Follow the codes and policies – All of SAPPRF's codes and policies including, but not limited to your employment contract (in the case of employees), the SAPPRF Code of Conduct, the SAPPRF Judicial Code, the SAPPRF Constitution, the SAPPRF / PRS-SA Rules and Regulations and the SAPPRF website Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy apply to your online conduct just as much as they apply to your offline behaviour. Make sure you're familiar with them.

5.6.Promptly clarify statements that are misinterpreted – Even well-considered statements can create confusion and be misinterpreted. Always monitor the comments your posts may generate and clarify your statement if needed.

5.7.Don't disparage the SAPPRF brand – While we acknowledge that you may wish to periodically post content on social media about shooting, you may not comment negatively on social media about SAPPRF, or any of its operations, events, activities or members (whether directly or indirectly).

5.8.Do not air your grievances online – You may not use your personal social media platforms to air personal grievances regarding SAPPRF, its policies, procedures, co-workers, affiliated organisations or otherwise. SAPPRF has well-established internal grievance policies and whistle-blowing mechanisms, which can be followed if you have a grievance against the organisation.

For example:

• "This PRS-SA membership fee is exorbitant! And what do we get for it?!! Nothing at all!"
• "Joe Blogg the match director at the PRS match this last weekend is a complete moron! The Course Of Fire was so ridiculously difficult that I'd be TOTALLY amazed if anyone got more than 20%."

5.9.Use privacy settings – this limits the extent to which your activities are visible and accessible to the public. Be aware that social media platforms frequently modify privacy settings and terms and conditions, so what's private today, might not be private tomorrow. Even if you have maximum privacy controls, never forget the power of a screenshot.

5.10.Don't speak on our behalf – No person may use social media in the name of, or on behalf of, SAPPRF without the express permission of the SAPPRF National Executive Committee. At no point are you authorised to engage on behalf of SAPPRF (whether publicly or privately). Please notify us of any issues and our communications team will be able to respond.

5.11.You may not set up a social media account, blog or webpage carrying the SAPPRF, PRS or PRS-SA identity (any name or logo), without the express permission of SAPPRF National Executive Committee.

5.12.Don't misuse the SAPPRF corporate identity – Your social media identity, login identity, profile picture, "handle" or username may not use or incorporate the name or logo of SAPPRF or any abbreviated or shortened version of the name. You may also not use the SAPPRF name to endorse or promote any product, opinion, cause or political candidate on social media.

For example:

• @JohnPRS-SA
• Joe Blogg's Blog: An SAPPRF insider

5.13.Do not violate privacy of members or colleagues – We take the privacy of members and employees very seriously, and you have an obligation not to violate that privacy. Before you post anything on social media, think about whether the content is yours to share:

• Do not use or discuss any information regarding other SAPPRF members and employees unless you have obtained written consent to do so.
• Do not discuss fellow SAPPRF members and employees on social media without their permission and ask permission before posting photographs or videos of other members.

5.14.Be truthful and avoid misrepresentations – Do not say anything that is dishonest, inaccurate or misleading. If you have a vested interest in something you are discussing, point it out, and if you make a mistake, be up-front about the error and correct it quickly.

5.15.Be accurate – In the age of fake news, fact-check all posts, comments and links to ensure they are accurate and true before posting them.

The best advice we can give you is to have fun, but responsibly. Ultimately approach social media in the same way as you approach the "real world." Use sound judgment and common sense, act with professionalism and integrity, and adhere to the SAPPRF values. Most importantly, always remember that you are an ambassador for SAPPRF – whether you're on social media or not – and that your conduct on and offline has the potential to cause damage not only to the reputation of SAPPRF, but also to your own reputation and career.

6. Compliance#

6.1.You must co-operate with any investigation by SAPPRF into a breach of this Policy.

6.2.You are legally liable for everything you do, say or post on social media. Failure to adhere to this Policy could result in disciplinary, in accordance with SAPPRF's Code of Conduct.

7. Uncertainty and Queries#

If you are in any way uncertain or unclear as to whether or not you are permitted to post something on social media please contact the SAPPRF National Executive Committee either telephonically or via the forms provide on the SAPPRF or PRS-SA websites.

8. Review of the Policy#

This Social Media Policy may be amended from time to time, in SAPPRF's sole and absolute discretion. All members will be informed of any changes.