FMWC Social Media Guidelines

Social Media Guidelines

Preamble:

Communication is a vital function of any organization, but none more so than one devoted to networking and advocacy. No matter how much good an organization is doing on behalf of its members, without effective communications, no one knows.

The work that the FMWC does is the glue that keeps members connected. In the most recent member survey, advocacy around the issues facing both Canadian women and women doctors emerged as a top reasons why FMWC members join.

Social media is an environment built on sharing. The stories that members share build relationships and can help connect women physicians at a distance, instantly. The links and resources that are shared are the tools we have in influencing others to our mission, vision and goals. Social media provides the platform to speak to the world.

Background:

The FMWC is a national, non-partisan, secular, networking organization that works to promote women in medicine and women’s health.

These guidelines cover anyone who is administering social media tools on behalf of the FMWC.

At present, the following positions have access to these tools under the FMWC accounts:

• National Executive Coordinator
• Social Media Manager

In addition, the FMWC supports the principles of the Canada Health Act.

• Public administration - on a non-profit basis
• Comprehensive coverage of all necessary health services
• Universality of coverage
• Portability across the country
• Accessibility for insured persons

The Federation of Medical Women of Canada has adopted social media communication tools for the following reasons:

• Amplify the range of the FMWC voice, particularly around advocacy issues
• Increase visibility of the FMWC among members
• Increase visibility of the FMWC among Canadian health care providers
• Increase FMWC membership numbers
• Increase visibility with the Canadian public

The social media tools that the FMWC will be engaging with are:

·      Twitter ·      Facebook

·      LinkedIn ·      FMWC Blog

The Things that we Share: Resources, Readings 

A POST is anything sent out publicly via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or the blog. A post can be an article, a picture, a poem, a song, anything that can be shared online.

The key to using social media effectively is to share relevant resources and information with followers via posts. That information can be created by the organization, or it can be shared via followers: members, other organizations, and general public. Care must be practiced in forwarding information that cannot be confirmed to a reputable source. As well, anything original produced by the FMWC must be considered suitable for public consumption: accurate, authentic and attributable.

The FMWC Facebook page and Twitter feed are public and open to view by everyone, however, it is expected that the main audience will be Canadian women physicians.

The FMWC follows respected media, government sources, health-related NGOs on Facebook and Twitter. Relevant resources and information from these organizations will be shared with FMWC friends and followers. Content of shared resources must reflect or promote the vision, mission and goals of the FMWC in some way.

BLOGS are different from media. While many organizations use them as a media tool, a blog can be started by anyone regarding any thing. Care must be taken to ensure that the information contained in the blog post is factual and furthers the mission, vision and goals of the FMWC.

FMWC blog posts will be approved, prior to posting, by the Communication Chair OR President, Past President, OR President-Elect.

The purpose of a post can be multiple: to share information, spark discussion, raise awareness, call to action, etc. The posts that are shared will signal to our audiences what the FMWC stands for and where our commitments and interest lie. Posts covering the following topic areas will be considered suitable for posting:

• Women physicians

advocacy, leadership, networking are the reasons women join the FMWC

• Leadership
• Training / Education
• Mentoring
• Self-care
• Disruptive behaviour / conflict management
• Career advancement / Glass ceilings
• Career transitioning

Women’s health – particular focus on the HPV, cervical cancer as FMWC identified areas of interest. Other women’s health posts will be informed by the 2017 survey of members and their priority of interest:

•             Emerging health trends – national and international
•             Women mental health
•             Gender bias in treatment/research/education
•             Geriatric/aging
•             Indigenous women / health
•             Refugee / immigrant women / health
•             Pain management
•             Assisted dying / palliative care
•             Integrated health
•             Sexual health / LGBTQ health
•             Sexual violence / Domestic violence

Advocacy Campaigns

From time to time the FMWC will engage in targeted social media campaigns around determined advocacy issues such as HPV Prevention Week and PAP Campaign. The Social Media Manager will work with partners in designing, sharing and promoting resources targeted to the relevant campaign.

#Hashtags are valuable markers of interest and can help organize resources for future reference as well as locate resources on Twitter. Wherever possible social media posts will contain relevant hashtags identifying source, content or cause.

As members look to the FMWC for advocacy, social media advocacy campaigns around issues identified as relevant to members should be encouraged.

Meetings and Conferences

It is to be expected that information from public meetings and conference proceedings will be shared on social media platforms. The purpose of sharing this information is to:

• include those unable to attend;
• share information of interest to a wider audience; and
• promote the activities of the FMWC.

It is the assumption that information sharing will happen at FMWC sponsored meetings both at the branch and the national level. It is important that the FMWC encourage information sharing as a primary function of their network.

 

There are instances where information is confidential or controversial. Presenters must be clear what data or slides cannot be shared on social media.

Participants at FMWC sponsored meetings and conferences will obtain a speaker consent form upon acceptance of their participation.

Speaker information forms will include a checkbox statement:

☐ I understand that my presentation may be shared on social media.

For presenters who do not wish to share their presentations, the FMWC will provide a no-share graphic that speakers can use to mark slides or presentations they do not want shared. An explanation of the graphic will be included in the program so that people are always aware.

Women in Leadership/Government

The FMWC will promote and share information and resources addressing Canadian women in leadership, particularly health leadership. For example, political appointments to relevant departments/organizations. The FMWC is a non-partisan organization with the focus on women over political affiliation.

Disclaimer

The FMWC profiles will contain the following disclaimer:

The information contained on this page is for information only and not meant to represent medical advice. If you have any questions concerning your care, please contact your family doctor or local clinic.

Private Interests

The FMWC will not retweet or share private sector endorsements without the express direction of the Executive. Any sponsored content on any platform will be clearly labeled.

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