Brennan looking for members to show ‘social’ responsibility

THE GAA will shortly release a comprehensive set of guidelines for members in how to use social media in a responsible manner.

Former president Nickey Brennan, who heads up the association’s IT committee, revealed they intend launching the list in the spring.

“There’s a huge growth in the use of Twitter and Facebook and the media are depending on the social media to pick up stories, to pick up news about this, that and the other,” said Brennan.

“It’s affording people the chance to see and read a lot more of what’s going on.

“Social media has many positives but it equally has as many negatives for the association.

“The association is about to produce a whole set of guidelines in this area. It has some guidelines but these are going to be enhanced over the next month or two, which will hopefully guide anybody, whether they be an officer, official or a player, in how to use social media.”

News of a possible set of social media guidelines being issued broke last April when GAA director of communications Lisa Clancy told TV3 they planned to make officials and players aware of the consequences of tweeting or posting on Facebook certain comments.

It was met with derision in some quarters, with Mayo captain Alan Dillon tweeting: “Gaa guidelines for FB & twitter...come off it.. Should be fun reading in this amateur era...fines and suspensions I expect”.

However, Brennan insists the guidelines are being issued to ensure officials and players are made aware of using the public forums in a responsible fashion.

“The GAA can’t control everybody, there’s no way. You can’t just be watching people every hour of the day. That’s not humanly possible.

“We’re hoping that people will take on board the guidelines — a lot of work has been invested into preparing them — and be careful of what they do.

“The reality is if they misbehave in that space it’s not the GAA that is going to be dealing with it; it’s going to hit the media and be about the embarrassment that it causes.

“The GAA wants to make it clear that ‘we’ll give you guidelines but we expect you to be responsible in how you use social media’.

“Obviously, a lot of people use social media in a private context and the GAA have no control over that, but if you’re an officer or an elected official or if you’re a paid employee it comes part and parcel with it that you’re responsible in this area.

“There are ways and means of dealing with social media and responsible responding, if I may call it that, to Facebook messages or tweets or whatever may be.”

* The GAA’s IT revolution — read the full story in tomorrow’s Irish Examiner.