QuoteGAA to issue Social Media Guidelines
12.04.11
Soccer stars cross channel and some of Ireland's rugby internationals have seen themselves drawn into controversy with their use of Twitter in the past; the GAA are keen to avoid any repeat for their players. The Association is currently working on guidelines that will be issued to players and officials having consulted with FIFA, the FAI and the IRFU.
The main purpose of the guidelines is to make those within the GAA aware of the consequences that might result by tweeting or posting comments of Facebook. GAA Director of Communications Lisa Clancy told TV3 "Any social media that's there; people have to realise once they publish on it, it's for public knowledge".
"We'll be issuing overall social media guidelines for everybody, players, and officials, just to give them a guide to make them aware of the responsibilities they will have if they're going on Twitter (for example). But everybody's personal Twitter is up to themselves".
Official GAA is already on Twitter while Director General Paraic Duffy referred to the need to make use of social networking sites to communicate with younger members in his Annual Report.
Files by TV3 Gaelic Games Correspondent Kieran McSweeney
QuoteGAA Director of Communications Lisa Clancy told TV3 "Any social media that's there; people have to realise once they publish on it, it's for public knowledge".
I'm hugely encouraged that our Director of Communications has such a way with words.
Quote from: Hardy on April 12, 2011, 07:02:45 PM
QuoteGAA Director of Communications Lisa Clancy told TV3 "Any social media that's there; people have to realise once they publish on it, it's for public knowledge".
I'm hugely encouraged that our Director of Communications has such a way with words.
lol
I think this is gas. Already as players they have to monitor what they eat, drink, their fitness etc. They have to plan their holidays and things like weddings around the GAA calendar as well as spending so much time training and playing and now they're trying to get them to monitor what they can say on the likes of facebook too.
Quote from: Hardy on April 12, 2011, 07:02:45 PM
QuoteGAA Director of Communications Lisa Clancy told TV3 "Any social media that's there; people have to realise once they publish on it, it's for public knowledge".
I'm hugely encouraged that our Director of Communications has such a way with words.
Bertie's cousin?
As for the topic, it's a bit vague really, I'm sure the gaa is fully aware that they have absolutely no control over, nor comeback to anything a player wants to say on any social medium, as long as its off the field of play, it's nothing got to do with them!
http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23GAAtwitterguidelines (http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23GAAtwitterguidelines)
Quote from: Lily11 on April 13, 2011, 04:28:53 PM
I think this is gas. Already as players they have to monitor what they eat, drink, their fitness etc. They have to plan their holidays and things like weddings around the GAA calendar as well as spending so much time training and playing and now they're trying to get them to monitor what they can say on the likes of facebook too.
To be fair, I think this is for protection of players.
Ah yea I suppose it is to some degree I just think it sounds gas issuing guidelines for what they should put on it. That thing on twitter is funny too.
It's probably just advice on what not to put on it. Especially with Royal visits and weddings. Most stories from celebs in papers these days are straight from Twitter, they just need to be careful.
I do think that this is something the GPA should be looking into in a big way. How many? 6 people in the Croke Park office surely one of them can do the twitter and facebooks as the players dont have time and even have to carry their own bags onto the team buses.
Quote from: Lily11 on April 13, 2011, 04:28:53 PM
I think this is gas. Already as players they have to monitor what they eat, drink, their fitness etc. They have to plan their holidays and things like weddings around the GAA calendar as well as spending so much time training and playing and now they're trying to get them to monitor what they can say on the likes of facebook too.
Agree totally - who do they think they are? The difference in the other sports mentioned is that they are professional - I dont think its out of place for a body to be issuing guidelines on what they are saying when they are making their living from said activity, but I hate this sh*te of following professional guidelines in trying to rule amateur players. The players arent owned by the gaa - the gaa should remember that
In fairness to Lisa, and god knows that she gets an awful lot of slack, our Director of Communications was only responding to a question from Kieran McSweeney in that interview. She didn't volunteer the information first. Plus as someone else pointed out here - it's only guidelines. I was thinking WTF myself when I read the piece first but putting it into perspective at least it's something the GAA are aware of.
By the way I'll be tweeting myself from the GAA Congress this weekend - you can follow me at @sportlaoispress on Twitter!
Do you mean she gets flak, which is bad, or slack, which would be good from her point of view? Journos these days, I dunno.
By the way, assuming the initiative is along the lines of 'don't type anything up there that you'd not like to see on the front page of a Sunday Newspaper' then I'd imagine it's a good thing. It would be the easiest thing in the world for a journalist to 'friend' or 'follow' people he knows through the GAA, and then use juicy quotes from twitter to cause problems in the camp.
Imagine some young lad tweeting 'Back from training, pain in the arse, that XXXX (manager) is some dick'.
I think this is a major issue for anyone who uses facebook or twitter. We all make the assumption that our utterings are secure but that is not the case. I hope that any guidelines are for the protection of the players. You only have to check the internet to see the mistakes that have been made by those who thought their facebook comments and photos were private. You only need to read the thread on phone tapping on the general board to see how far news media will go to get a story.
Who in their right mind would want to be associated with the first Rio Ferdinand of the GAA.
I meant slack - of course I meant flak - overworked and unpaid I am - it's GAA Congress week - our first ever Laois native as president so please forgive me!