SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
The aim of this article is to offer guidance as to what is and isn’t acceptable for BRCA members to postonline, specifically with regard to racing incidents and judicial matters, regulations, fellow competitors, paddock rumours and speculation, Club management and race meeting officials.
Social media and personal websites - Facebook in particular - are extremely powerful tools both in terms of communications and interactivity, and provide a valued platform for RC Motorsport competitors and enthusiasts alike. Since it is in the public domain, interactive and open-ended, there is however a more significant onus of responsibility on competitors to behave courteously, politely and without becoming significantly provocative to others.
It is clearly futile to try to discourage the use of social media since it offers more positives than negatives, however this document is intended to assist BRCA members in avoiding some of the common pitfalls that can arise and to help social media to be used in a responsible way.
BRCA members should present themselves online as they would when meeting face to face, and avoid posting anything that could be seen as aggressive, deliberately controversial or disparaging towards fellow competitors, race meeting officials or the Club itself. This includes not only comments but also deliberately provocative media, whether posts on websites, blogs and forums or the likes of
Videos/Memes and social media.
Competitors are reminded that they are participating in a sport, and sporting decisions are governed largely by volunteers. Abuse towards such officials is as unacceptable online as it is in person. If you feel a sporting decision is incorrect then BRCA/Club procedures should be followed to appeal rather than online vilification in a fashion to the detriment of the Section, Club, Officials, and ultimately competitors, whether on social media or a person website/blog.
For disagreements of a less official nature, please be reminded that if friendly resolution is not possible face to face, then working to resolve differences is always better in private, rather than in the public eye, for the good of yourselves and the sport in general.
Members are also reminded that statements written and published online (whether on social media or a personal website) that defame the character of a person, business or organisation are no different